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Good Samaritan Hospital Earns American Heart Association Award

Ralph C Monday, October 29, 2012

West Islip, NY – Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center has earned the Get With The Guidelines^® (GWTG)–Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (AHA). The recognition signifies that Good Samaritan has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients according to the guidelines of care recommended by the AHA/American College of Cardiology. This marks the third consecutive year that Good Samaritan has been recognized with a quality achievement award.

GWTG is a quality improvement initiative that provides hospital staff with tools that follow proven evidence-based guidelines and procedures in caring for heart failure patients to prevent future hospitalizations. According to GWTG–Heart Failure treatment guidelines, heart failure patients are started on aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants in the hospital. They also receive alcohol/drug use and thyroid management counseling, as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before being discharged.

“Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is dedicated to making care for heart failure patients among the best in the country, and implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines^®–Heart Failure program will help accomplish this by making it easier for professionals to improve the long-term outcome for these patients,” said Good Samaritan’s Vice President of Care and Quality Management Susan Dries, RN.

According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million people suffer from heart failure. Statistics also show that, each year, 670,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 277,000 people will die of heart failure. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications and devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.

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Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip. The medical center, which has more than 4,500 employees and almost 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 30,000 patient admissions and more than 95,000 emergency department visits in 2011. Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org.

Good Samaritan provided more than $43 million in community service and charity care in 2011. The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health. This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.

ralph@longisland.com

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