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Recognition for Clinical Quality in Stroke, Heart Attack and Heart Failure

Albany, N.Y., April 18, 2007 -- Albany Medical Center has been lauded by the American Heart Association/Stroke Association for leading the nation in following evidence-based guidelines for patients with heart failure, coronary artery disease and stroke. By receiving Annual Performance Achievement Awards in all three categories, Albany Med becomes the only hospital in New York State, and just the second in the nation, to receive this distinction under the American Heart Association/Stroke Association's Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) program.

This accomplishment signifies that Albany Med has distinguished itself among other hospitals in reaching an aggressive goal of treating coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure patients with 85 percent compliance to core standard levels of care outlined by the AHA/ASA secondary prevention guidelines and recommendations. Very few hospitals have consistently met the guidelines in all three categories.

"I'm incredibly proud of the commitment and success of our cardiology team in implementing a higher standard of care for our heart disease patients," said Edward Philbin, M.D., associate professor and vice chair for clinical affairs, department of medicine, and Governor George E. Pataki Chair in Cardiology at Albany Medical Center. "Albany Med is dedicated to making our care for heart disease and stroke patients among the best in the country."

"Rapid assessment, treatment and intense follow-up care is vital for stroke patients to help them gain back as much of their lives as possible. I'm thrilled to receive this honor for the stroke team here at Albany Med," said Gary Bernardini, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and director of stroke and neurocritical care, departments of neurology and neurosurgery, and Edith M. Hellman and Hellman Family Chair in Stroke Medicine at Albany Medical Center. "We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements."

Get With the Guidelines helps ensure that patients treated and discharged receive quality care in accordance with guidelines that will reduce the risk of secondary events. It takes advantage of the "teachable moment," the time soon after an acute event, when patients are most likely to listen to their health care professionals' treatment recommendations. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.

Albany Med has consistently and successfully implemented these quality measures for 12 consecutive months since it began participating in the program. "The full implementation of acute and secondary prevention guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives of patients," said Gray Ellrodt, M.D., chair of the National GWTG Oversight Committee and a respected expert in health care quality. "The aim of Get With The Guidelines is to help hospitals like Albany Med implement appropriate evidence-based guidelines for care and protocols that will reduce the number of deaths in these patients and in their communities. And, Albany Medical Center is well above the national average in terms of implementing these life-saving treatments."

Under the protocols, heart patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants in the hospital. In the case of stroke, they may receive tPA, antithrombotics to prevent blood clots and medicine to prevent deep vein thrombosis. They also receive alcohol/drug use and smoking management counseling and referrals for rehabilitation before being discharged.

"With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG program addresses the important element of time," said Dr. Bernardini. Albany Med has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes being equipped 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications and surgical clot removal techniques when appropriate.

The GTWG program issues performance awards for stroke, coronary artery disease, and heart failure care in three categories: initial, annual, and sustained. Initial performance awards are given out when hospitals successfully implement the program's quality measures for three consecutive months. Annual awards are given out for 12 consecutive months of successful implementation, and sustained awards are given out after two consecutive years of top performance. Albany Med received Initial Performance Awards in all three categories in 2005 and 2006, and becomes only the second hospital in the nation to receive all three annual awards.

According to the American Heart Association/Stroke Association, each year more than 450,000 people suffer a recurrent heart attack, about five million people suffer from heart failure and about 700,000 people suffer a stroke--200,000 of which are second strokes.

Get With The Guidelines is developed with support from an unrestricted educational grant from the Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical Partnership and Glaxo Smith Kline, Inc. 

Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York's only academic health sciences center. It consists of Albany Medical College, Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc.

Additional information can be found at American Heart Association.