Northside Hospital Recognized with Quality Achievement Awards for Heart Failure and Stroke Care

Northside Hospital-Atlanta and Northside Hospital-Forsyth have received the Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Silver-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology Foundation secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.  Additionally, the two hospitals received the Bronze Quality Achievement Award for implementing quality improvement measures outlined by AHA and the American Stroke Association (ASA) for the treatment of stroke patients.

“Northside Hospital is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our cardiovascular and stroke patients, and implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program helps us to accomplish this goal by tracking and measuring our success in meeting internationally-respected guidelines,” said Patricia Tyson, administrative director, Northside Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute.  “I am very proud of our physicians and staff for their hard work in achieving these awards.”

Get With The Guidelines is the AHA/ASA hospital-based quality improvement program that helps hospital’s provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure and stroke patients.

Northside Hospital-Atlanta and Northside Hospital-Forsyth earned their awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and stroke patients at a set level for a designated period.  These measures include proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of patients.  Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their condition and overall health, as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation.

A team of board-certified physicians, specialty-trained nurses and technologists at Northside has the highest level of expertise in diagnosing and treating disorders like coronary artery blockages, congenital heart defects, heart failure and stroke.  In addition to Get With The Guidelines, Northside Hospital-Atlanta, Northside Hospital-Forsyth and Northside Hospital-Cherokee have received AHA’s Mission: Lifeline® Receiving Center Quality Achievement Award, in recognition of quality heart attack care.  Each of the three hospitals also is an accredited Chest Pain Center and Advanced Primary Stroke Center.  For more information, visit www.northside.com.