Dominican Hospital Receives Award for Heart Failure Care

American Heart Association Award distinguishes Dominican for providing advanced, research-based heart failure care speeding recovery and reducing readmissions

SANTA CRUZ – Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has received the Get With The Guidelines^®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (AHA).

“This award demonstrates our dedication to ensuring heart failure patients receive care based on internationally-respected clinical guidelines developed using the latest scientific research,” said Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. “Our adherence to the AHA/American College of Cardiology Foundation’s guidelines is just one of the measures we take to continually maintain the hospital’s high standards for cardiac care.”

Dominican Hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients. These measures include evaluation of the patient, proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies, such as ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, diuretics, anticoagulants, and other appropriate therapies. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

The Dominican Hospital heart and vascular program has received several accolades this year, including recognition from Healthgrades as one of American’s 100 best hospitals for coronary intervention and among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery, and designation as a Blue Shield Blue Distinction Specialty Care Center for Quality in Cardiac Care.

According to the AHA, 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.

Photo Caption: AHA representative Elaina Gunn (left) presents the Get With the Guidelines Heart Failure-Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award to (left to right) Dominican cardiologist and congestive heart failure physician lead Jay Johnson, MD, Lifestyle Management Manager Jennifer Spurlock, Senior Director of Quality Monica Hamilton, and Director of Cardiovascular Services Sarah Edmundson.