In The News

UC Health/West Chester Hospital Earns National Quality Recognition for Heart Failure Care

January 4, 2024  |  UC Health, West Chester Hospital
UC HEALTH/WEST CHESTER HOSPITAL

UC Health’s University of Cincinnati Medical Center and West Chester Hospital have once again been recognized by the American Heart Association for their commitment to prioritizing superior cardiac care for heart failure patients with the Heart Failure Gold Plus Award.

 

UC Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® 2023 Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. 

 

West Chester Hospital received the 2023 Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award with Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. 

“At UC Health, we are committed to delivering state-of-the-art cardiac care to our patients who suffer from heart failure,” said Charles Hattemer, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease and professor of clinical medicine at the UC College of Medicine. “Our team brings intense focus to provide advanced heart care to save more lives in emergencies, and to enable all of our patients to live longer and healthier lives.”

 

Hospitals included on the Heart Failure Honor Roll meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education. The goal is to further reduce hospital re-admissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing this chronic condition.

 

Hospitals who are included on the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll  are ensuring 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 heart disease or stroke. 

 

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

 

More than 6.2 million adults in the U.S. live with heart failure. Many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications or devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.

 

This recognition identifies UC Health’s commitment to ensuring heart failure patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines founded in the latest scientific evidence. The goal is to implement a higher standard of care that speeds recovery and reduces hospital re-admissions for heart failure patients. 

 

UC Health is the region’s first and most experienced adult heart transplant program in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and has established a reputation for delivering innovative and compassionate heart care for 200 years – from coronary artery disease to advanced heart failure.

 

UC Health’s Heart Care Program has achieved several recent milestones, including ranking in the top 10 percent nationwide for patient outcomes in adult heart transplants, pioneering the endoscopic triple valve procedure in the United States, and being named one of the nation's Top 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs by Becker’s Hospital Review.

 

Serving more than 3,000 patients annually at the Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Center and showcasing a rapidly growing structural heart program, UC Health's Heart Care program continues to lead through innovative research, the implementation of state-of-the-art mechanical assist devices, and advancements in cardiac surgery.