Area hospitals “Get With The Guidelines”

Hospitals across our six-state area have been recognized for achievement in using evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible care to patients through the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® and Mission: Lifeline® programs.  The honored hospitals are featured in a special advertisement in US News & World Report, published online at www.usnews.com, and in the publication’s “Best Hospitals Guidebook,” available in print this August.

Over 100 SouthWest Affiliate hospitals were among 1,041 nationwide to receive recognition under Get With The Guidelines, a hospital-based quality-improvement program that helps hospitals follow scientific guideline-based treatment for heart failure and stroke patients.  Hospitals are recognized based on reductions in patient deaths within 30 days of leaving the hospital, and lower rehospitalization rates.  Award levels—Gold Plus, Gold, Silver Plus and Silver—are based on length of adherence to the quality measures.

Area hospitals recognized for the Gold-Plus Get With The Guidelines achievement (HF - heart failure, S - stroke):

• Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX (S)
• Centennial Medical Center, Frisco TX (HF)
• Cristus Hospital - St. Elizabeth, Beaumont, TX (HF)
• CHRISTUS Saint Michael Health System, Texarkana, TX (S)
• CHRISTUS Spohn - Shoreline, Corpus Christi, TX (S)
• Citizens Medical Center, Victoria, TX (HF)
• Conroe Regional Medical Center, Conroe, TX (S)
• Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, TX (S)
• Covenant Medical Center, Lubbock, TX (S)
• DeTar Healthcare System, Victoria, TX (S)
• East Texas Medical Center, Tyler, TX (S)
• Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Wheat Ridge, CO
• Good Shepherd Medical Center, Longview, TX (S)
• Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, Waco, TX (S)
• Houston Northwest Medical Center, Houston, TX (HF)
• Integris Baptist Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK (S)
• Integris Southwest Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK (S)
• Jane Phillips Medical Center, Barlesville, OK (HF)
• Kingwood Medical Center, an HCA Affiliated Hospital, Kingwood, TX (S)
• Lake Pointe Medical Center, Rowlett, TX (HF, S)
• Las Palmas Medical Center, El Paso, TX (S)
• Littleton Adventist Hospital, Littleton, CO (HF, S)
• Longview Regional Medical Center, Longview, TX (S)
• Lovelace Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM (S)
• Medical Center Hospital, Odessa, TX (S)
• Medical Center of Plano, Plano, TX (S)
• Memorial Medical Center of East Texas, Lufkin, TX (S)
• Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Richardson, TX (S)
• Midland Memorial Hospital, Midland, TX (HF)
• OakBend Medical Center, Richmond, TX (S)
• Parker Adventist Hospital, Parker, CO (HF)
• Parkland Health & Hospital, Dallas, TX (S)
• Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo, CO (HF)
• Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, Colorado Springs, CO (S)
• Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX (S)
• Porter Adventist Hospital, Denver, CO (HF)
• Providence Healthcare Network, Waco, TX (S)
• Providence Memorial Hospital, El Paso, TX (HF, S)
• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital, Baytown, TX (S)
• Scott and White Healthcare Round Rock, Round Rock, TX (S)
• Shannon Medical Center, San Angelo, TX (HF)
• Sierra Providence East Medical Center, El Paso, TX (HF)
• Sparks Health System, Fort Smith, AR (S)
• St. Anthony Central Hospital, Denver, CO (S)
• St. David's Medical Center, Austin, TX (S)
• St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, OK (S)
• St. Joseph Health Medical Center, Bryan, TX (S)
• St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, TX (S)
• St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center, Grand Junction, CO (HF, S)
• Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, CO (S)
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital - WNJ, Sherman, TX (S)
• The Medical Center of Aurora, Aurora, CO (S)
• The Medical Center of Plano, Plano, TX (S)
• The Methodist Hospital - Houston, TX, Houston, TX (S)
• Trinity Mother Frances Health System, Tyler, TX (S)
• United Regional Healthcare System, Wichita Falls, TX (S)
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR (S)
• University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO (S)
• University of New Mexico Hospitals, Albuquerque, NM (HF,S)
• Valley Baptist Medical Center - Brownsville, Brownsville, TX (HF, S)
• Valley Baptist Medical Center - Harlingen, Harlingen, TX (HF, S)
• Wadley Regional Medical Center, Texarkana, TX (S)
• Wyoming Medical Center, Casper, WY (S)

Additionally, 39 SouthWest Affiliate area hospitals were among the 225 nationwide honored for achievement in Mission: Lifeline, a coordinated system of care that helps communities speed up and streamline the process of diagnosing and treating heart attacks – from the first 911 call to in-hospital treatment.  Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were given to both receiving hospitals (those that meet standards for lifesaving heart attack treatments such as angioplasties that restore blood flow); and referral hospitals (facilities that meet standards for promptly diagnosing heart attacks, providing initial care, stabilizing patients and transporting them to a receiving center for further treatment). In addition to the US News & World Report advertisement, you can use the new interactive map at heart.org to find the nearest award-winning hospital in their region.

“The American Heart Association is pleased to recognize its top Get With The Guidelines participants,” said Stephanie Chapman, senior director of Quality & Systems Improvement with the American Heart Association’s SouthWest Affiliate. “Healthcare providers who use Get With The Guidelines are armed with the latest evidence-based guidelines and immediate access to clinical decision support, using a set of tools that have been shown to improve delivery of evidence-based care. The goal of this initiative is to improve the quality of life and help reduce deaths and disability among patients with heart disease and stroke.”

“Published scientific studies are providing us with more and more evidence that Get With The Guidelines works,” said Kent Ferguson, board chairman for the American Heart Association’s Capital Area Division.  “Patients are getting the care they need when they need it, resulting in improved outcomes.  We salute the local hospitals chosen by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to be honored in US News & World Report.”