Adena Health Honored For Quality In Heart & Stroke Care

Article Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(Chillicothe) – When something doesn’t feel right, you need expert care that’s close to home. Adena Health understands this, and that is why the experts with the Adena Heart and Vascular Institute and Adena Orthopedic and Spine Institute strive to deliver unparalleled care every step of the way.

Adena Regional Medical Center (ARMC) recently received several honors for those two service lines through the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® awards program for its quality care, giving patients in south central and southern Ohio peace of mind knowing that nationally recognized, trusted heart and stroke care is near.

Among the honors is the organization’s Get With the Guidelines® – Heart Failure bronze quality achievement award, which recognizes ARMC’s commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure, thus reducing hospital readmissions and producing more healthy days at home.

Heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart has difficulty pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. Patients can still live a quality life by working with their health care team on a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring, and lifestyle changes.

“This award sends a message to the community that we are able to provide the excellent standard of care patients should expect when experiencing the symptoms of heart failure and is a testament to the level of care we are providing close to home,” said Adena cardiologist Bharat Marwaha, MD.

About six million U.S. adults are living with heart failure, a number that is expected to increase to more than eight million by 2030.

The Get With the Guidelines® – Heart Failure quality achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association. The award program puts the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines.

Each year program participants qualify for award consideration by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for heart failure patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With the Guidelines® participants provide the type of education to patients that help address the anxiety that can accompany a diagnosis of heart failure, including helping them understand their treatment plan and any medications that may be part of that plan.

Symptoms that may indicate heart failure include shortness of breath after mild exertion, fatigue, a reduced ability to exercise, rapid weight gain from fluid buildup, lack of appetite, a persistent dry cough, swelling of the belly area, and swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet.

“We are pleased to recognize the leaders and teams at Adena Regional Medical Center for a strong commitment to caring for people with heart failure,” said Sabra Lewsey, MD, MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Heart Failure System of Care Advisory Group and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Hospitals that participate in Get With the Guidelines® – Heart Failure often see better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions, and lower mortality rates, which is a win for families, communities, and health care systems.”

The heart failure recognition is not the only recent American Heart Association award bestowed upon ARMC. Others connected to the stroke care provided through Adena Orthopedic and Spine Institute include:

·        The Get With the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. That treatment leads to more lives saved with a reduced level of disability.

·        The Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award. In order to qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet a set of specific criteria that reduces the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

·        The Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll Award. This honor aims to ensure that patients with Type 2 diabetes who may be at higher risk of complications receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized by a stroke.