Newswise — Six Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers received American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure Quality Achievement Awards. The awards recognize the medical centers’ 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.

More than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. 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. “Our cardiovascular teams have made considerable efforts in continuing to provide the best and most compassionate care possible for patients with heart failure,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “I’m grateful for their efforts to ensure our patients experience longer and healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants’ outcomes are reviewed and they demonstrate how their organization has committed to providing quality care for heart failure patients to determine their award eligibility. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their heart failure once at home. There are six levels of achievement - Gold Plus, Gold, Silver Plus, Silver, Bronze and Participating.

The Hackensack Meridian medical centers receiving quality achievement awards include the following.Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Award and Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus AwardPalisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus AwardBayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus AwardOcean Medical Center in Brick, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Silver Plus Award and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor RollSouthern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, NJ, received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Bronze Award

“We are pleased to recognize Hackensack Meridian Health for their commitment toheart failure care,” said Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., MSc, MACC, FAHA, MACP, FHFSA, national chairperson of the American Heart Association Heart Failure systems of care advisory group and chief, division of cardiology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. “Hospitals that follow Get With The Guidelines protocols often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates; a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recognition levels recognize the goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standards of care outlined by the AHA over increasing lengths of time, culminating in two consecutive calendar years for Gold Plus. Additionally, Gold Plus recognizes hospitals that demonstrated 75 percent compliance to four out of ten heart failure quality measures or four out of seven stroke quality measures during the 12-month review period.

Hospitals receiving the Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll are required to meet specific criteria that improves medication adherence, provides early followup care and coordination and enhances patient education. To qualify for Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, hospitals mustmeet specific quality measures with more than 90 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

For information about Hackensack Meridian Health’s cardiovascular services, visit https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/services/cardiovascular/. For a free physician referral, call 844-HMH-WELL.

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About Get With The GuidelinesGet With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’shospital based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.