FGH named among top performing hospitals for heart attack treatment in U.S.
[The following press release and photo were submitted from FGH.]
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (July 24, 2019) – Forrest General Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2019. Forrest General is one of only 225 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. For the fifth consecutive year, this award recognizes Forrest General’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Forrest General has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Forrest General has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for eight consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients. “It is a great honor to be part of a team at Forrest General that is consistently recognized for its excellence, particularly when that recognition comes from a prestigious organization like the American College of Cardiology,” said Thad Waites, MD, MACC, cardiologist at Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest General Hospital. “Because these awards have such rigorous criteria, this indicates that we provide a high level of care to our community.” The Center for Disease Control estimates that over 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others. “As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, Forrest General has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, Forrest General has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.” Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients. The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.
