American Heart Association Honors Columbus Community Hospital
Columbus Community Hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke and diabetic care. The hospital received both the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition, Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll.
The Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award signifies CCH's dedication to exceeding the AHA's standards for stroke care. This recognition follows the hospital’s achievement of the Silver Quality Achievement Award. To qualify for the Gold Plus Award, CCH demonstrated at least 85% adherence to all Get With The Guidelines – Stroke achievement indicators for a consecutive 12-month period. This translates to providing stroke patients with the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.
"The award reflects CCH's unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional stroke care that aligns with the AHA's rigorous standards," said Sue Deyke, the hospital’s emergency department director. "Stroke has a devastating impact on families, and CCH is proud to make a positive difference in their lives."
Dr. Mark Howerter, CCH’s chief medical officer, emphasized the collaborative effort behind CCH's achievements. "Recognizing the significant risk of stroke, CCH made a conscious effort to elevate its stroke care five years ago," he said. "Our partnership with Nebraska Medicine has been instrumental in advancing our stroke program."
In addition to stroke care excellence, CCH was also recognized for its dedication to helping patients with diabetes who are experiencing stroke complications. The Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll recognizes hospitals that provide optimal, evidence-based care for patients with Type 2 diabetes who are hospitalized because of heart failure, heart attack or stroke. This new recognition program from the AHA highlights CCH's commitment to addressing the specific needs of this high-risk population.
Samantha Lozos, RN, the hospital’s stroke and trauma coordinator, highlighted the collective effort. "This award,” she said, “is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our doctors, nurses, radiology technicians, laboratory staff, therapists, diabetic educators and everyone involved in improving stroke patient care."
"We have a dedicated stroke committee focused on implementing best practices," said Dr. Howerter. "These efforts have demonstrably elevated our stroke care, and we are honored to be recognized by the AHA, a leader in advancing heart and stroke patient care."
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
To learn more about Columbus Community Hospital’s stroke training services, visit columbushosp.org.