SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital nationally recognized for high-quality heart failure care

SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure, meaning reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.

About six million U.S. adults are living with heart failure, a number that is expected to increase to more than eight million by 2030. Despite the name, heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working – it means the heart is having a hard time pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. While there’s no cure for heart failure, patients can live a quality life by working with their health care team to create and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring, and lifestyle changes.

The Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure quality achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. The program aims to increasing healthy days at home and reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.

“St. Agnes Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” according to Tadeo Diaz Balderrama, MD, SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic Cardiovascular Services chief. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure that more people in the Fond du Lac area can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for heart failure patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their heart failure at home.  

“We are pleased to recognize the leaders and teams at St. Agnes Hospital for a strong commitment to caring for people with heart failure,” says Sabra Lewsey, MD, MPH, chairperson of the American Heart Association Heart Failure System of Care Advisory Group and assistant professor of medicine at John Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Hospitals that participate in Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure often see better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for families, communities, and health care systems.”

St. Agnes Hospital is also recognized on the American Heart Association’s Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll. Hospitals on the Honor Roll meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education. The goal is to further reduce hospital readmissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing this chronic condition.

Additionally, St. Agnes Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.