NYC Health + Hospitals, the city's public hospital system, was recognized by the American Heart Association for its commitment to ensuring patients with heart disease receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines.
Among the recipients of the "Get with the Guidelines" achievement awards were Brooklyn's Woodhull Hospital and Kings County Hospital.
"Adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for our patients with heart failure has made a difference in our outcomes," said Ronny Cohen, MD, director of Cardiology at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. "Get with the Guidelines-HF, has become a great tool for tracking and measuring our compliance, as well as finding areas for improvement. Excellence is an ongoing process and we are fortunate to have these tools available to us."
According to the American Heart Association, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. More than one in four New Yorkers have high blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart disease and stroke, two conditions that contribute to more than one in five premature deaths among New Yorkers each year, according to city data.
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. The proper management of heart disease begins -- and doesn't end -- when patients are diagnosed and treated for their heart conditions in the hospital.
With the awards, the American Heart Association recognized Woodhull Hospital and Kings County Hospital for their commitment to meeting the association's specific quality measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and stroke patients. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health and receive other care transition interventions.
Woodhull Hospital earned the "Heart Failure Gold Award" and the "Stroke Gold Plus Award;" Kings County Hospital was recognized with the "Resuscitation Gold" and the "Heart Failure Gold Plus" awards and made the "Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus."
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and has a significant impact on communities of color," said Sheldon P. McLeod, CEO at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. "Receiving these awards demonstrates the steadfast commitment to excellence by our esteemed team of physicians, nurses and technicians dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for our patients and members of the Brooklyn community and beyond."
