Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) receives Get With The Guidelines-AFIB Silver Quality Achievement Award

American Heart Association Award recognizes NCH’s commitment to quality AFIB care

Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-AFIB Silver Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Get With The Guidelines-AFIB was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for patients with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke and other complications.

NCH earned the award for meeting specific quality achievement measures at a set level for a designated period. These measures include providing appropriate medications and aggressive risk reduction therapies to prevent stroke, stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and treat additional heart disease. Before discharge, patients should also receive education and counseling on managing their condition and plans on follow-up care.

“NCH is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with atrial fibrillation by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-AFIB initiative,” says Steve Scogna, President and CEO, NCH. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

“We are pleased to recognize NCH for their commitment to atrial fibrillation care,” says Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million adults suffer from atrial fibrillation. The condition accounts for about one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a five-fold increase risk of stroke. Proper treatment of atrial fibrillation can reduce these risks.

NCH’s award-winning AFib Program includes an AFib Clinic located at 199 West Rand Road in Mount Prospect. There patients see a multidisciplinary team that includes advanced practice nurses or physician assistants, nurses and dietitians. John Onufer, M.D., FACC, FHRS, Medical Director of Electrophysiology Services at NCH, provides physician oversight and supervision for the clinic. The team helps patients strive for relief of symptoms, stroke prevention and improved quality of life. For more information on AFib or the clinic, call 847-618-2440.