Published on November 04, 2009

Shady Grove Adventist Cardiac Program Granted Quality Award

Rockville, MD - Shady Grove Adventist Hospital has been granted a national award recognizing the high-quality care it provides to heart attack patients. The hospital's cardiac program received the 2009 Silver Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology Foundation, which recognizes hospitals for their commitment and success in implementing high standards for heart attack patients.

Shady Grove, a member of Adventist HealthCare, is one of only 36 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor. The award also signifies that Shady Grove Adventist Hospital has reached an aggressive goal of treatment for coronary artery disease patients following stringent clinical guidelines outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.

"Delivering high-quality care to our patients is a top priority for our hospital," said Shady Grove Adventist President Dennis Hansen. "We are pleased to receive this important recognition for our cardiac program, which is committed to saving the lives of patients in our community who are suffering from heart attacks."

To receive the Silver Performance Achievement Award, Shady Grove's cardiac team consistently followed the clinical guidelines in American College of Cardiology's ACTION Registry, which tracks treatment patterns, clinical outcomes and drug safety and the overall care provided to high-risk heart attack patients for 12 consecutive months. The treatment guidelines include aggressive use of medications like cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin and anticoagulants in the hospital.

"From the moment that a heart attack patient enters our hospital, all members of our cardiac team work to deliver the highest quality care following the most stringent evidence-based protocols," noted Dr. Dennis Friedman, Medical Director of Cardiac Services at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. "We recognize that for heart attack patients, minutes can make a difference and we strive to make the most of those minutes with each patient. We appreciate the recognition for our care to heart attack patients."

The ACTION-Registry is a national registry of robust data collection and quality reporting on cardiac patients that allows health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patient according to the most current, science-based guidelines. The registry also establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety, and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease.

The Silver Performance Achievement Award is just one of several quality recognitions Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's cardiac program has received in 2009. Last spring, Shady Grove became the first hospital in the Washington, D.C. region to become a level 2 Chest Pain Center. Also, in June, Shady Grove's high-quality standards allowed it to obtain a waiver from the Maryland Health Care Commission to continue delivering emergency treatments to heart attack patients.

"Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's numerous quality achievements over the past year demonstrate the hospital's commitment to quality throughout its departments and services," said William G. "Bill" Robertson, President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare. "This commitment truly benefits our patients and the entire community."

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, a not-for-profit, acute care facility with 293 licensed beds, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009. Shady Grove offers a broad range of excellent health services including emergency care; high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care; cardiac and vascular interventional care; oncology care; several surgical specialties; and a number of specialized services for children. The Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center in Germantown opened in 2006 and is providing increased access to emergency medical care for more than 30,000 residents each year.