O’FALLON— HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital has received two American Heart Association Achievement Awards for implementing quality improvement measures that ensure cardiovascular patients receive efficient and coordinated care, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times, and fewer returns to the hospital.
Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of cardiovascular disease – including heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical.
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs help reduce barriers to prompt treatment for cardiovascular events. As a participant in Mission: Lifeline: Get With The Guidelines programs, St. Elizabeth’s applied for the award recognitions by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care for patients.
“St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival and recovery after cardiovascular events,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Patti Fischer. “The Mission: Lifeline and Get with the Guidelines programs help put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients.” HSHS St. Elizabeth’s recently added two neurologists to the medical staff to further manage the care needs of stroke patients.
This year, St. Elizabeth’s received the following Achievement Awards:
- Get With The Guidelines Stroke Award (AHA) Gold Plus
- Get With The Guidelines Stroke Award (AHA) Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
“We are pleased to recognize HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s 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 American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
