The East Carolina Heart Institute At Vidant Medical Center Receives Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Achievement Award | Eastern North Carolina Now

Award demonstrates Vidant Medical Center's commitment to quality care for heart failure patients

    GREENVILLE — The East Carolina Heart Institute (ECHI) at Vidant Medical Center has received the Get With The Guidelines® — Heart Failure Gold Plus Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The recognition signifies that the East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients according to the guidelines of care recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology.

    This marks the fourth consecutive year ECHI has been recognized with the Gold quality achievement award, and the second time it has received the Gold Plus recognition.

    Get With The Guidelines-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. Launched in 2005, numerous published studies have demonstrated the program's success in achieving patient outcome improvements, including reductions in 30-day readmissions.

    "Heart failure is a complex condition that requires diligent medical attention and multidisciplinary care," said Dr. Hassan Alhosaini, medical director of the heart failure program at the East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center. "The heart failure program at East Carolina Heart Institute is comprised of board-certified heart failure cardiologist, heart failure advanced practice providers, heart failure nurses, pharmacist, social worker, and palliative care personnel."

    Dr. Alhosaini said early recognition of increasing symptoms, as well as access to care by a skilled heart failure team, often prevents hospitalizations. "We aim to improve the quality of life of heart failure patients. One of the most important objectives of the heart failure program is to address the problem of heart failure readmission."

    The program at ECHI has been successful in reducing the 30-days readmission rate from 27 percent in 2012 to 20 percent this year. Additionally, the ECHI heart failure program has been essential in ensuring adherence with heart failure best practices and guideline directed medical therapy.

    Dr. Alhosaini said, "Receiving this award is a testament to the hard work of our Vidant Medical Center family of providers and nurses."

    "The East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center is dedicated to making our care for heart failure patients among the best in the country," said Van Smith, senior vice president, Vidant Medical Center. "The American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure award recognizes and celebrates our team's success in meeting internationally-respected guidelines."

    The quick and efficient use of guideline procedures can improve the quality of care for heart failure patients, save lives and ultimately, reduce health care costs by lowering the recurrence of heart attacks.

    According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million adults in the United States suffer from heart failure, with the number expected to rise to eight million by 2030. Statistics show that each year about 870,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 50 percent of those diagnosed will die within five years. However, 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.

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in eight eastern North Carolina hospitals. The health system includes Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice,Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com.