Nacogdoches Medical Center Recognized for Excellence in Heart and Stroke Care
Aug 11, 2020
Nacogdoches Medical Center (NMC) has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus and Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Awards. The awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring heart failure and stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines founded in the latest scientific evidence. The goal is speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure and stroke patients.
NMC achieved the recognition by meeting specific quality measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their heart failure and stroke disease, overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“Nacogdoches Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with heart failure and stroke by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines initiatives,” said Jeff Patterson, CEO, Nacogdoches Medical Center. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.
Hospitals are required to meet specific criteria that improves medication adherence, provides early follow-up care and coordination and enhances patient education. The goal is to reduce hospital readmissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing these chronic conditions.
“We are pleased to recognize Nacogdoches Medical Center for their commitment to heart failure care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
According to the American Heart Association/Stroke Association, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.