AUSTIN, August 9, 2010 -
Heart Hospital of Austin has been recognized for achievement in
using evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible care to patients through The
American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®
program.
Heart Hospital of Austin and 814 other hospitals are featured in a special advertisement in
the "America's Best Hospitals" issue of US News & World Report (August issue) to
commemorate their receipt of Get With The Guidelines Gold Performance Achievement Award.
A total of 961 awards were given for achievement in coronary artery disease, stroke and/or heart
failure treatment.
Hospitals recognized in each category achieve at least 85 percent compliance to Get With
The Guidelines measures. Those achieving 85 percent compliance for 24 consecutive months
receive the Gold Performance Achievement Award, with the Silver Performance Achievement
Award going to those with 85 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months. Special
recognition is also given for those hospitals achieving 85 percent compliance in two or all three
categories and/or for being in 75 percent compliance with heart failure and/or stroke measures.
Get With The Guidelines is a hospital-based quality-improvement program designed to
ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-todate
guidelines and recommendations. The program addresses coronary artery disease, heart
failure and stroke. Currently more than 1,400 hospitals participate in the program.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's advertisement recognizes
Heart Hospital of Austin's commitment and success in performance achievement.
"The American Heart Association is pleased to recognize its top Get With The Guidelines
participants," said. Lee Schwamm, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines
steering committee, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and Vice
Chairman of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Healthcare providers who use Get
With The Guidelines are armed with the latest evidence-based guidelines and immediate access
to clinical decision support, using a set of tools that have been shown to improve delivery of
evidence-based care. The goal of this initiative is to improve the quality of life and help reduce
deaths and disability among patients with heart disease and stroke."
Published scientific studies are providing us with more and more evidence that Get With The
Guidelines works. Patients are getting the right care they need when they need it. That's
resulting in improved survival."
"We are proud that the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have
chosen the 'America's Best Hospitals' issue of US News & World Report to recognize Heart
Hospital of Austin for our achievements in their Get With The Guidelines program," said David
Laird, President and CEO of Heart Hospital of Austin. "Get With The Guidelines gives our
professionals the tools and reports they need to effectively treat our coronary heart disease, heart
failure and stroke patients."
About Heart Hospital of Austin
The uniquely designed 58-bed hospital offers a full range of cardiac services and includes a 24-
hour full service emergency center. Heart Hospital of Austin provides comprehensive physiciandirected
and patient-centered care resulting in excellent patient outcomes and satisfaction ratings.
The hospital resulted from the shared vision of local cardiologists and cardiovascular
surgeons. Working with hospital leadership, the physicians created an atmosphere of quality
resulting in the leading cardiac program in Texas for six consecutive years as ranked by
HealthGrades®, and is a five-time recipient of the Thomson Reuter's 100 Top Hospitals®
Cardiovascular Benchmarks Award. In July 2009, a study funded by the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services revealed Heart Hospital of Austin as the leading hospital in the United
States for treatment of a heart attack. More information can be found at
www.hearthospitalofaustin.com.
About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's
hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and
reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and
recommendations. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.