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Memorial receives national recognition for quality cardiac and stroke care

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is one of 277 hospitals in the United States recognized in the July 23 issue of US News & World Report by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines SM (GWTG) program in an ad for its performance achievement in cardiac and stroke patient care.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s GWTG program is a quality-improvement program that helps hospitals ensure patients consistently receive cardiac and stroke care in accordance with the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations.

GWTG has three modules to help hospitals use evidence-based guidelines to treat patients with coronary artery disease, stroke and/or heart failure. Hospitals that continually meet or exceed the nationally accepted standards, or guidelines, improve their quality patient care by turning guidelines into lifelines.

Upon meeting criteria specific to each module, hospitals are recognized for performance achievement if at least 85 percent of their cardiac or stroke patients (without contraindications) are treated and discharged according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s guidelines and recommendations. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s ad recognizes Memorial Medical Center’s commitment and success in performance achievement.

“GWTG is about improving quality of care and saving lives, so the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association wanted to recognize Niagara Falls Memorial’s contribution to quality cardiovascular care in a publication such as US News & World Report, which focuses its July issue on the top 100 hospitals. Memorial has implemented and maintained the appropriate standards of performance in cardiac and stroke care for patients,” said Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer chairman for the national GWTG Steering Committee. “We are proud of Memorial Medical Center’s efforts for implementing these lifesaving treatments.”

“Memorial Medical Center and The Heart Center of Niagara are dedicated to making our patient care for heart and stroke patients among the best in the country,” Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo said. “The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s GWTG program is helping us accomplish that by making it easier for our professionals