Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack. WellSpan Health is ensuring its care teams are ready to step up to save lives. The health system's acute care hospitals recently received 12 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines awards for care related to heart disease and stroke. The recognition shows WellSpan’s commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of these potentially life-changing medical conditions.
“At WellSpan, we know that our mission of providing high quality care involves closely adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Chris Lipp, vice president of heart and vascular services, WellSpan Health. “By following the Get With The Guidelines programs, we are saving more lives, providing patients shorter recovery times, and seeing fewer readmissions in our hospitals. We want to continue to ensure that our patients are able to experience longer, healthier lives thanks to the care that our teams provide.”
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
WellSpan earned these awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke and heart care patients for varying lengths of implementation. The 12 Get With The Guidelines awards were received by the following hospitals:
WellSpan York Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Heart Failure and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
- Get With The Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold Quality Achievement Award for the Adult Population Age Group.
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll and Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Award.
WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Heart Failure and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Honor Roll.
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Heart Failure and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Heart Failure and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Heart Failure and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, WellSpan hospitals qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
“We are pleased to recognize WellSpan for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Dr. John Warner, past president of the American Heart Association and executive vice president for health system affairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
For more information about WellSpan’s heart care, visit WellSpan.org/Heart. For more information on stroke care services at WellSpan, visit WellSpan.org/Stroke.
