Parkland Receives Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI and STEMI Receiving Gold Achievement Awards

DALLAS, TX / AGILITYPR.NEWS / August 03, 2020 / Three American Heart Association Awards recognize Parkland’s commitment to quality heart care

Parkland Health & Hospital System has received three achievement awards for quality cardiac care from the American Heart Association, including the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring heart failure patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines founded in the latest scientific evidence. The goal is speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.

Parkland earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, scheduling a follow-up visit and other care transition interventions.

“Parkland is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with heart failure by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-HF initiative,” said Sandeep R. Das, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA, Director of Acute Coronary Care at Parkland and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

Parkland also received the Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI and STEMI Receiving Gold Quality Achievement Awards for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer heart attacks.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.

Parkland earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of heart attack patients by providing emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

“We commend Parkland for this award in recognition for following evidence-based guidelines for timely heart attack treatment,” said Tim Henry, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “We applaud the significant institutional commitment to their critical role in the system of care for quickly and appropriately treating heart attack patients.”

 “Parkland is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Dr. Das. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care through Mission: Lifeline.”

To learn more about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhospital.com.