Two of only 256 hospitals recognized nationwide, Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Southwest and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital have received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2014.
“We are honored to have our cardiac teams recognized for their hard work in caring for some of our most seriously ill patients,” said M. Michael Shabot, MD, Memorial Hermann Health System chief medical officer. “This is an outstanding achievement that again demonstrates the quality and depth of our cardiac services, and the high caliber of medical and surgical experts at Memorial Hermann.”
With its second American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award in June for implementing specific quality improvement measures, Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center was recognized by the American College of Cardiology at the silver level.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 700,000 Americans suffer heart attacks each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation.
To receive the ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award, hospitals must consistently follow the treatment guidelines in the ACTION Registry–GWTG Premier for eight consecutive quarters and meet a performance standard of 90 percent for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.
“Memorial Hermann is focused on improving the quality, safety, and outcomes of care for our patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients,” said Angela A. Shippy, MD, Memorial Hermann Health System chief quality officer. “The implementation of these guidelines requires successful coordination of cardiovascular teams and emergency personnel, and is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients.”
At Memorial Hermann, affiliated physicians and surgeons perform more than 50,000 heart procedures annually. In fact, more than 50 percent of Houston's heart care specialists are on active staff at Memorial Hermann hospitals. As a result, patients have access to the complete range of cardiac treatments, from interventional cardiology to electrophysiology, and advanced heart failure treatments such as left ventricular assist devices and heart transplants.