UNC Lenoir Health Care receives
Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Bronze Quality Achievement Award
American Heart Association Award recognizes UNC Lenoir Health Care commitment to quality heart failure care
May 21 2018 ― UNC Lenoir Health Care has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Bronze Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring heart failure 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 patients.
UNC Lenoir Health Care earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure 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 overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“UNC Lenoir Health Care is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with heart failure by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-HF initiative,” said Barbara LaRoque, public information officer. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
UNC Lenoir Health Care is also recognized on the association’s Target: Heart FailureSM Honor Roll. 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 this chronic condition.
“We are pleased to recognize UNC Lenoir Health Care for their commitment to heart failure care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “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, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. 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.
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About UNC Lenoir Health Care
UNC Lenoir Health Care licensed for 261 beds, is a not-for-profit hospital dedicated to the community it serves by offering quality inpatient, outpatient and preventive healthcare services that are close to home. In addition to general medical, surgical, and obstetrical and gynecological care, Lenoir Memorial offers specialized services including cardiology, pulmonology, oncology, radiology and urology. With a medical staff of over 100 physicians, Lenoir Memorial offers a range of specialty services and technology one would only expect to find at hospitals in larger cities. Learn more at unclenoir.org
About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
