GPH meets American Heart Association’s ‘gold’ standard for cardiovascular care

GPH announced Thursday that the hospital has received the “gold” recognition from the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines for treatment of coronary artery diseases.

This award was based on GPH’s rapid, research-based care to patients experiencing a type of heart attack known as non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, or NSTEMI. Their dedication has led to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer hospital readmissions, GPH said in a press release.

Each year more than 546,000 people experience this type of heart attack, caused by a partial blockage of blood flow to the heart. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.

Abhinav Goyal, an American Heart Association volunteer and professor in the department of cardiology at Emory School of Medicine, said adherence to the American Heart Association’s guidelines is critical in the event of a NSTEMI heart attack.

“Great Plains Health is among the institutions recognized for consistently providing patients with evidence-based NSTEMI care, which offers the best chance of preventing another heart attack,” he said.

Great Plains Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. This aims to ensure that patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

“Great Plains Health is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” GPH Chief Executive Officer Ivan Mitchell said. “The Get With the Guidelines program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival. Our dedicated team at Great Plains Health goes above and beyond, ensuring each patient feels supported and cared for throughout their recovery journey.”