Tower Health hospitals were recently recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with the Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Achievement Awards, Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Achievement Award, and Mission: Lifeline® Receiving Award for treatment of patients with heart attack.

Tower Health recognitions include:

  • Brandywine Hospital 
    • Mission: Lifeline® Silver Receiving 
    • Get with the Guidelines® Gold Plus Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
    • TYPE 2 DIABETES HONOR ROLL™ AWARD
  • Chestnut Hill Hospital 
    • Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
    • TYPE 2 DIABETES HONOR ROLL™ AWARD 
  • Phoenixville Hospital
    • Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Award
    • Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Award
    • TYPE 2 DIABETES HONOR ROLL™ AWARD
  • Pottstown Hospital 
    • Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll Award 
  • Reading Hospital   
    • Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll Award
    • Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
    • TYPE 2 DIABETES HONOR ROLL™ AWARD
    • Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Achievement Award
    • Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Plus & Target: HF Honor Roll Award

"Our teams strive to continue to advance the quality of care that our patients receive for stroke, heart attack, and heart failure," said Gregory Sorensen, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Tower Health. "I'm proud of the remarkable efforts they make each day and the acknowledgement from the AHA confirms their dedication to our patients and the health of the communities we serve."

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement recognizes a hospital's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

The award is earned when a hospital meets specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

The Mission: Lifeline® Award for is given for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. 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.

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.

The American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement 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.

The award is earned 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, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

To qualify for the Target: Type 2 Honor Roll hospitals must meet quality measures with more than 90 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months for the "Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score."

 

About Tower Health

Tower Health is a strong, regional, integrated healthcare provider/payer system that offers leading-edge, compassionate healthcare and wellness services to a population of 2.5 million people. With approximately 14,000 team members, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville; Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia; Jennersville Hospital in West Grove; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, a partnership of Tower Health and Drexel University in Philadelphia. It also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading; home healthcare services provided by Tower Health at Home; and a network of 25 urgent care facilities across the Tower Health service area. Tower Health offers a connected network of 2,200 physicians, specialists, and providers across more than 230 convenient locations. For more information, visit towerhealth.org. 

About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.

About Get With The Guidelines®

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to 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/quality.