Floyd Medical Center has received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for 2020. It marks the fourth consecutive year the hospital has been in the Gold category.

The award recognizes the hospital's commitment to ensuring heart failure patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines founded in the latest scientific evidence. The goal is speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.

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

Floyd earned the Get With The Guidelines award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

 “Floyd is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with heart failure by implementing the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-HF initiative," said Lee Clevenger, Floyd's Director of Critical Care and Cardiovascular Services. “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 Floyd Medical for their commitment to heart failure care," said 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 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. 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.

​Get With The Guidelines is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org. To learn more about heart failure care provided at Floyd, visit www.floyd.org/heart.