AHA Again Recognizes URMC Cardiac, Heart Failure, Stroke Care
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has once again honored Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester Medical Center with a Triple Performance Achievement Award for meeting its highest standards for coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke care.Strong Memorial is the only Rochester-area hospital to receive this honor, and the only Rochester-area hospital to receive any level of American Heart Association recognition for its coronary artery disease and heart failure care. Only 13 hospitals in the U.S. are recognized this year with the Triple Performance Achievement Award.
The achievements of Strong Memorial in three program modules of the AHA/ASA Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) program consist of: coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke care, all of which each earned a Gold Sustained Performance Award to celebrate three years of adherence to all measures of AHA/ASA performance standards.The list of award-winners will be published July 28 in an AHA/ASA advertising announcement in the “America’s Best Hospitals” issue of U.S. News & World Report.
“We strive to provide the most comprehensive, leading-edge care for our patients,” said Curtis G. Benesch, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery and director of the Strong Stroke Center. “This award acknowledges the commitment of many individuals to the goals of advancing acute stroke care and improving stroke prevention.”Charles J. Lowenstein, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiology, said the AHA/ASA awards illustrate that the University of Rochester Medical Center is at the forefront of patient care. “As the only regional hospital to receive Get With the Guidelines recognition for coronary artery disease and heart failure care, and one of only a handful of centers in the U.S. to be honored with the Triple Performance Achievement Award, we take pride in what we’ve accomplished as we strive to further advance care for our patients.”Each year approximately 300,000 people suffer a recurrent heart attack, 5.2 million people suffer from heart failure and 700,000 people suffer a stroke, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
GWTG is a hospital-based quality improvement program designed to ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. Upon meeting each module’s criteria, hospitals are recognized if at least 85 percent of their cardiac or stroke patients are treated and discharged according to the AHA/ASA’s recommendations.
