Bayhealth Earns American Heart Association Award

Bayhealth Medical Center is exceeding the national standards for the treatment of heart failure patients, according to the American Heart Association.

Kent General Hospital and Milford Memorial Hospital have both received the AHA's "Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Performance Achievement Award."  The Gold Performance Achievement Award recognizes that both hospitals exceeded an 85 percent compliance with core standards for treating heart failure patients during the past 24 months.  "Get With The Guidelines" is a quality improvement initiative that provides hospital staff with core standards developed from evidence-based guidelines for treating heart failure patients and preventing future hospitalizations.

"The full implementation of national heart failure guidelines is crucial in ensuring better outcomes for patients and reducing their chances for future hospitalizations.  Evidence-based protocols are proven to lower disability and mortality rates," said Bayhealth Cardiologist Harjinder Grewal, M.D., who is former president of the Kent County Chapter of the AHA.

"Bayhealth is dedicated to making our care for heart failure patients among the best in the country.  Implementing the American Heart Association's 'Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure' program will help us accomplish this goal by making it easier for our professionals to improve the long-term outcome for these patients," said Bayhealth Director of Care Management Joanne Fletcher, RN, MSN.

"At Bayhealth, our physicians and nursing staff are committed to providing the highest quality care to our patients.  The AHA awards are an affirmation of this commitment," said Bayhealth Patient Care Services Director Ann Keane, RN, MSN, MA, CCRN.

Under GWTG-Heart Failure standards, heart failure patients immediately receive risk reduction therapies and medication.  They may also receive alcohol/drug abuse and thyroid management counseling as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation.  Bayhealth Medical Center has successfully maintained these quality measures for the past 24 consecutive months.

Bayhealth Medical Center's mission is to improve the health status of all members of the Bayhealth community.  Central and Southern Delaware's largest healthcare system, Bayhealth is comprised of Kent General and Milford Memorial Hospitals, Middletown Medical Center and numerous satellite facilities.  Bayhealth was ranked Best in Delaware for Cardiac Surgery by HealthGrades 2009 and was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for the third year for providing an "Outstanding Inpatient Experience."  Bayhealth is a technologically advanced not-for-profit healthcare system employing over 2,900 with a medical staff of 458 physicians.  Bayhealth is a member of the Penn Cancer Network and is an affiliate of Penn Cardiac Care.  In the 2009 fiscal year, Bayhealth recorded 75,916 emergency department visits, 17,168 patients admitted to beds and 2,211 births.  Last year, as part of its mission, Bayhealth provided more than $33.6 million in unreimbursed care to patients.