In recognition of the quality of patient care provided at Reading Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, and Pottstown Hospital, two national awards were presented to each hospital.
Reading Hospital received Gold recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The severity and danger of STEMI is greater than that of other types of heart attack.
Phoenixville Hospital and Pottstown Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus recognition.
Moreover, all three hospitals have been recognized nationally for their commitment to providing high-quality stroke care. Each hospital received the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus Award for its proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care.
“At Tower Health we adhere to the recommendations and strive to continue to improve so we provide our patients with high-quality care and the best possible chance of survival,” said P. Sue Perrotty, Tower Health president and CEO, “Our teams use this proven knowledge every day, resulting in better recovery for our patients. We provide care for people in our communities to help them experience longer, healthier lives and get them home to their families.”
About Mission: Lifeline® STEMI
Each year, about 285,000 people in the U.S. experience ST-elevation myocardial infarction - STEMI - a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery. Nearly 40 percent of people who go to the emergency room with acute coronary syndrome are diagnosed with STEMI. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible. Recognition as a Mission: Lifeline Receiving Center is designed to showcase hospitals that provide 24/7 support for STEMI. These important facilities coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to provide guideline-directed STEMI and NSTEMI care.
“Care coordination is particularly important when someone experiences a STEMI heart attack, and American Heart Association guidelines call for specific actions in the hospital and following a hospital stay,” said James G. Jollis, MD, volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease Systems of Care Advisory Work Group and cardiologist with The Christ Hospital Physicians - Heart & Vascular in Cincinnati. “Hospitals/Organizations like Tower Health are recognized for consistently supporting patients with science-based treatment and care coordination, ensuring the best opportunity for recovery.”
About Get With The Guidelines
Stroke is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the USA. 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 needed blood and oxygen, resulting in the death of brain cells. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure that 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.
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization is committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Tower Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships in neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a win-win for health care systems, families and communities.”
About Tower Health
Tower Health is a regional integrated healthcare system that offers compassionate, high-quality, leading-edge healthcare and wellness services to communities in Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. With approximately 11,500 employees, Tower Health consists of Reading Hospital in West Reading; Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville; Pottstown Hospital in Pottstown; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, in partnership with Drexel University. Tower Health is strongly committed to academic medicine and training, including multiple residency and fellowship programs, the Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health, and the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in West Reading. The system also includes Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing; home healthcare provided by Tower Health at Home; TowerDirect ambulance and emergency response; Tower Health Medical Group; Tower Health Providers, our clinically integrated network; and 25 Tower Health Urgent Care facilities across our service area. For more information, visit towerhealth.org