Shannon Wins National Award for Cardiac Care

Shannon Medical Center received the Get With the Guidelines®- Heart Failure Silver Plus Achievement Award from the American Heart and American Stroke Association.

“It’s been proven time and again that guidelines are helpful,” said Chris McClish, MD, interventional cardiologist at Shannon Clinic and Medical Director of the Cath Lab. “They provide the highest recommendations for exceptional patient care, allow us to compare what we’re doing to state and national averages, and they also lead to enhanced performances from doctors. Most importantly, they help us save lives.”

GWTG–Heart Failure is a quality improvement program that helps hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. Shannon earned the award for achieving at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all GWTG- Heart Failure Achievement Indicators and at least 12 consecutive months of 75 percent or higher compliance with five or more GWTG- Heart Failure Quality indicators to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.

These measures include proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants while patients are in the hospital. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation.

Shannon began entering data for GWTG in 2009 and continues to participate in the program because of its proven success. The hospital is a four-time recipient of the AHA’s