ROME, Ga., JUNE 29, 2023 – For the fifth consecutive year, Atrium Health Polk Medical Center has earned Gold certification from the American Heart Association for the care it provides heart failure patients. The AHA releases its Get With The Guidelines honorees annually.
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 outlined by the AHA.
The hospital also received the AHA's Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award for ensuring that 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.
The guidelines put 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.
About 6.2 million U.S. adults are living with heart failure. 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 and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring and lifestyle changes.
“It is not a coincidence that the AHA award ties diabetes care to heart health," said Tifani Kinard, vice president of Rural Health for Atrium Health Floyd and administrator of the hospital in Polk County. “People with diabetes have a greater chance of heart disease, which is why administering the proper care is so important."