Aurora BayCare First in Wisconsin to Receive Gold Quality Award for AFib Care

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Aurora BayCare First in Wisconsin to Receive Gold Quality Award for AFib Care

Aurora BayCare Medical Center is the first hospital in the state of Wisconsin to receive the 2017 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines - Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Get With The Guidelines-AFIB was developed to assist healthcare professionals by providing the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for patients with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke and other complications.

Award Presentation

"Aurora BayCare is honored to be the first hospital in Wisconsin to earn this award," said Dr. Vinay Mehta, electrophysiologist at Aurora BayCare Medical Center. "We aim to set the standard for quality of patient care, and evidence indicates patients benefit when treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program through less re-admissions and better quality outcomes."

Aurora BayCare earned the award by meeting aggressive quality achievement measures for 24 consecutive months. These measures include proper use of medications and risk reduction therapies, such as appropriate anti-coagulation to minimize the risk for stroke. Also evaluated is the usage of medications to stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and other medications needed to treat additional heart disease. Before they are discharged, patients receive education on managing their condition and stroke risk, counseling if needed, and plans on follow-up care.

"We are pleased to recognize Aurora BayCare for their commitment to atrial fibrillation care," said Paul Heidenreich, M.D., M.S., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. "Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program. Get With The Guidelines research has demonstrated the impact of lowering 30-day readmissions and reducing mortality rates."

Per the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million adults suffer from atrial fibrillation. The condition accounts for about one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a five-fold increase risk of stroke and places patient at a significantly higher risk for congestive heart failure. Proper treatment of atrial fibrillation can reduce these risks. 

About Aurora BayCare Medical Center

Aurora BayCare Medical Center is a 167-bed, full-service tertiary care hospital located at 2845 Greenbrier Road on Green Bay's east side. It opened in September 2001 as a joint venture of Aurora Health Care and BayCare Clinic.  Aurora BayCare is committed to creating a better way to provide high quality tertiary healthcare, the latest in medical technology and superior service.

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program 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.