CUMMING - Northside Hospital-Forsyth has earned The Joint Commission’s (TJC) Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification in Heart Failure. The Gold Seal of Approval and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.
Northside Hospital-Forsyth is one of only three hospitals in Georgia, and the only one in Metro Atlanta, to receive Advanced Certification in Heart Failure.
“This advanced certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional heart failure care Northside Hospital-Forsyth provides,” said Patricia Tyson, director, Northside Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team of physicians, nurses and staff, who continually strive to advance our care even further each and every day.”
To receive the two-year Advanced Certification in Heart Failure, Northside Hospital-Forsyth underwent a rigorous on-site review by TJC experts, who evaluated the hospital’s compliance with disease-specific care standards as well as with heart failure-specific requirements. The certification recognizes heart failure programs that include either a hospital-based and hospital-owned outpatient heart failure clinic or have a collaborative relationship with one or more attending cardiology practices. They also must have achieved at least a Bronze level of performance from AJA’s Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure program and have a comprehensive heart failure-focused program staffed by qualified medical professionals.
Earlier in 2015, Northside Hospital-Forsyth received AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for heart failure. In fact, this has been a very successful year for the hospital and its heart and vascular services. Northside has received AHA’s Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center Gold Level Recognition Award, Get With The Guidelines® Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award for stroke, and the ACTION Registry- Get With The Guidelines® Gold Performance Achievement Award for quality care in the treatment of acute myocardial infraction patients. In addition, Northside Hospital-Forsyth is a TJC Advanced Primary Stroke Center and an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.
More than an estimated 5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs, according to AHA. Although the heart keeps working, it’s not as effective as it should be. Each year, about 825,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 275,000 will die of heart failure. However, many patients can lead a full life through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.
Northside Hospital-Forsyth offers a wide range of diagnostic, treatment and support services – encompassing the entire continuum of care for the heart and vascular patient. A team of board-certified cardiologists, vascular surgeons, cardiac-trained nurses and technologists at Northside has the highest level of expertise in diagnosing and treating disorders like coronary artery blockages, congenital heart defects, heart failure and stroke. For more information, visit northside.com/heartandvascular.
About Northside Hospital (www.northside.com)
The Northside Hospital health care system is an 852-bed, not-for-profit health care provider with more than 150 locations across Georgia, including three acute care, state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Cherokee County and Forsyth County. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries, diagnoses and treats the most cancer cases in Georgia and performs the most robotic surgeries in Georgia. Ranked #4 on the U.S. News list of the Best Hospitals in Georgia and the only Georgia hospital on the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers, Northside has more than 2,500 physicians and 11,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million patient visits annually across a full range of medical services.
The Joint Commission (www.jointcommission.org)
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at.
The American Heart Association (www.heart.org)
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.
