PIH Health Receives Get With The Guidelines® Quality Achievement Awards
American Heart Association awards recognize PIH Health’s commitment to providing high-quality stroke care
Whittier, Calif. (July 6, 2023) – The American Heart Association has recognized all three PIH Health hospitals for their commitment to providing research-based, high-quality stroke care that supports better outcomes for stroke patients. PIH Health Downey Hospital and PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital earned Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award and PIH Health Whittier Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Silver Plus quality achievement award.
The three hospitals also received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, for 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 stroke. Additionally, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital and PIH Health Whittier Hospital both received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award, for meeting quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment.
“PIH Health is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” says Krystal Valdez RN MSN ACNS-BC, PIH Health System Director of Quality Programs. “The Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in our service communities experience longer, healthier lives.”
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.
Get With The Guidelines® puts the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, PIH Health qualified for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
“We are pleased to recognize PIH Health for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Congratulations to physicians and staff members who have contributed to this honorable recognition!
About PIH Health
PIH Health is a nonprofit, regional healthcare network that serves approximately 3.7 million residents in the Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Gabriel Valley region. The fully integrated network is comprised of PIH Health Downey Hospital, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, PIH Health Whittier Hospital, 35 outpatient medical office buildings, a multispecialty medical (physician) group, home healthcare services and hospice care, as well as heart, cancer, digestive health, orthopedics, women’s health, urgent care and emergency services. The organization is nationally recognized for excellence in patient care and patient experience, and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has identified PIH Health as one of the nation’s top hospital systems for best practices, cutting-edge advancements, quality of care and healthcare technology. PIH Health is also certified as a Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit PIHHealth.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
