American Heart Association recognizes Lakeview Regional’s commitment to stroke, diabetes and AFIB care

Covington, Louisiana —Lakeview Hospital , a campus of Tulane Medical Center, has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Gold Plus Target Honor Roll achievement award, the Target Type 2 Diabetes recognition award, and the AFIB Silver recognition award. The awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

This recognition marks the fifth consecutive year Lakeview Regional has received with these awards. “This recognition from the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines initiative reinforces the hard work our team does here at Lakeview Regional, ensuring our patients receive the highest level of care,” said Hiral Patel, Lakeview Regional’s CEO. “The tools and resources provided by the American Heart Association help us track and measure our success while improving patient outcomes.”

Lakeview Regional earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines to speed recovery and reduce death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, and other care transition interventions. The Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ honor roll is awarded to hospitals that ensure patients with type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized with cardiovascular disease or stroke. Only hospitals that qualify for the silver level or higher can achieve this award.

Get With The Guidelines®-AFIB is the newest addition to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s collaborative performance improvement programs. The program is designed to assist hospital care teams in consistently providing the latest evidence-based treatment for their arterial fibrillation, or AFIB, patients. At the same time, it offers a means of monitoring the quality of AFIB care in U.S. hospitals and building a database for continued research and further quality improvement.

Dr. Jacques Guillot, Lakeview Regional’s chief medical officer, encourages patients to follow the American Heart Association’s seven goals for good health, including eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding excess weight, not smoking, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar within a healthy range.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, nearly half of all U.S. adults have some type of cardiovascular disease. This percentage reflects recently updated guidelines used to treat blood pressure; high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program helps hospital teams provide the latest, research-based guidelines with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery. Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke has impacted more than 5 million patients nationwide since 2003.

From left to right: Derek Rousseau, RN, Director of Emergency Services; Jessica Clement, RN, Stroke Coordinator; Dr. Charles Muntan, Emergency Room Medical Director; Dr. Jacques Guillot, Chief Medical Officer; Hiral Patel, Chief Executive Officer; Gretchen Brower, RN, Cardiovascular Data Registry Manager; Jennifer Scmidt, Chief Nursing Officer