Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Honored by American Heart Association
Oct 15, 2019
Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett has received the Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation’s secondary prevention guidelines for patients with heart failure. This marks the 7th consecutive year that Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett has been recognized with a quality achievement award.
Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure is a quality improvement program that helps hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, research-based standards with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. Launched in 2005, numerous published studies have demonstrated the program’s success in achieving patient outcome improvements, including reductions in 30-day readmissions.
Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients. These measures include evaluation of the patient, proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, diuretics, anticoagulants, and other appropriate therapies. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, scheduling a follow-up visit, and other care transition interventions.
“Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett is focused on providing our patients with high-quality care,” said Chris Locke, chief executive officer. “The Get With The Guidelines program is an outstanding blueprint for this care. With the prevalence of heart failure expected to increase by 46% in the next 14 years, we are proud to be part of a program that can help produce better outcomes and lower readmissions.”
According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million adults in the United States suffer from heart failure, with the number expected to rise to eight million by 2030. Statistics show that each year about 870,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 50 percent of those diagnosed will die within five years. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications or devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.
Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure is a quality improvement program that helps hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, research-based standards with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. Launched in 2005, numerous published studies have demonstrated the program’s success in achieving patient outcome improvements, including reductions in 30-day readmissions. Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients. These measures include evaluation of the patient, proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, diuretics, anticoagulants, and other appropriate therapies. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, scheduling a follow-up visit, and other care transition interventions.
“Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett is focused on providing our patients with high-quality care,” said Chris Locke, chief executive officer. “The Get With The Guidelines program is an outstanding blueprint for this care. With the prevalence of heart failure expected to increase by 46% in the next 14 years, we are proud to be part of a program that can help produce better outcomes and lower readmissions.”
According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million adults in the United States suffer from heart failure, with the number expected to rise to eight million by 2030. Statistics show that each year about 870,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 50 percent of those diagnosed will die within five years. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications or devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.