WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus and Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement awards.
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. Get With The Guidelines 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. The program aims to increasing healthy days at home and reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.
About 6.7 million U.S. adults are living with heart failure (HF), a number that is expected to increase to more than 8 million by 2030. Despite the name, HF doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working – it means the heart is having a hard time pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body.
While there’s no cure for HF, patients can live a quality life by working with their healthcare team to create and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring, and lifestyle changes.
Ruby Memorial Hospital is also recognized on the American Heart Association’s Target: Heart Failure SM Honor Roll. Hospitals on the Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education. The goal is to further reduce hospital readmissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing this chronic condition.
Similarly, Get With The Guidelines – Stroke puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Ruby Memorial also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke SM Elite Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
Additionally, Ruby received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.
Ruby was also awarded the following American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Resuscitation awards for its commitment to treating in-hospital cardiac arrest, ultimately helping to improve survival rates:
- Silver – Neonate/Infant
- Bronze – Pediatric
- Target: Survival
“Our WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, and WVU Medicine Children’s teams share a deep commitment to excellence in patient care,” Michael Grace, Ed.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.H.E., WVU Hospitals president and CEO, said. “As so many in our state and region are affected by heart failure, stroke, diabetes, and cardiac arrest, WVU Medicine experts continually strive to deliver the most advanced treatment to the people who need it.”
“Whether our patients are experiencing an urgent medical emergency or working with a provider to manage a chronic condition, the very best care is available close to home, here in Morgantown.
For more information about the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Heart. For more information about the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/RNI.
