East Georgia Regional Medical Center recently received three American Heart Association Achievement Awards for implementing quality improvement measures that helped lead to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer returns to the hospital for cardiovascular patients.
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 “Get with the Guidelines” program, East Georgia applied for the award recognitions by demonstrating how the hospital has committed to improving quality care for patients, said Erin Spillman, director of Marketing for EGRMC.
Bryan Realiza, the Centers of Excellence accreditation manager at East Georgia, was one of the leaders that helped the facility achieve Primary Stroke Center certification in November 2020, Spillman said.
“It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork to achieve this level of stroke care – ranging from local EMS, ER staff, neurology, radiology staff, nursing staff, and rehabilitation staff,” Realiza said. “These awards are not only a testament to the hard work we have invested into building and improving our facility’s stroke program, but also proof of our commitment to providing quality care to our community.”
This year, EGRMC received the following achievement awards:
• Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Award
• Target Stroke Honor Roll
• Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
“We are 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 Stephen Pennington, CEO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center. “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.”
“We are pleased to recognize East Georgia Regional Medical Center 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.”