St. Cloud Hospital Honored with Quality Achievement Award for Heart Failure Care

ST. CLOUD, MINN. -- CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center at St. Cloud Hospital recently was recognized for achievement with Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure, a program created by the American Heart Association to help hospitals consistently follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines for treating heart failure patients. It is one of only four hospitals holding a current designation in Minnesota.

Earning Silver Plus recognition means that for the last year CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center attained 85 percent or higher adherence with all Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure achievement measures and 75 percent or higher compliance with four or more of its quality measures. Measures include proper use of medications, aggressive risk reduction therapies and close patient follow-up. Studies have shown that hospitals that consistently follow these guidelines can reduce patients’ length of stays, 30-day readmission rates and disparity gaps in care.

According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million people suffer from heart failure. Each year 870,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 50 percent of those diagnosed will die within five years. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full life when their condition is managed with proper medications and devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines® puts the unparalleled expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping hospitals ensure that the care provided to heart failure patients is aligned with the latest evidence-based guidelines. The goal of participating in the program is to save lives. Most hospitals that implement Get With The Guidelines® realize measurable results, including improved patient outcomes and fewer recurring events.