UPMC Hospitals in Central Pennsylvania Are Nationally Recognized for Providing High-Quality Cardiovascular Care

July 27, 2023

The awards recognize UPMC in Central Pa. for science-based practices in heart failure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

HARRISBURG, Pa. – UPMC in Central Pa. has received the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

“We are pleased to recognize UPMC in Central Pa. for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Community Osteopathic, UPMC West Shore, UPMC Lititz, UPMC Hanover, UPMC Memorial and UPMC Carlisle all achieved at least one American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus award. This year, UPMC in Central Pa. achieved the following recognitions:

• UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Community Osteopathic and UPMC West Shore achieved the Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus award, Get With The Guidelines^® - Heart Failure Gold Plus award, Target: Stroke^℠ Honor Roll Elite, Target: Heart Failure℠ Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll. UPMC Harrisburg and UPMC West Shore were awarded the Mission: Lifeline^® NSTEMI Gold achievement award for implementing specific quality improvement measures to treat heart attack patients more efficiently and rapidly. UPMC West Shore was also awarded the 2023 Mission: Lifeline^® STEMI Receiving Gold Plus award.
• UPMC Lititz achieved the Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus award, Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• UPMC Hanover achieved the Get With The Guidelines^®  - Stroke Gold Plus award and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• UPMC Memorial achieved the Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus award, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• UPMC Carlisle achieved the Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus award, Get With The Guidelines^® - Heart Failure Gold Plus award, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll and the Mission: Lifeline^® STEMI Referring Gold Plus award.

“UPMC in Central Pa. is committed to providing quality care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Lou Baverso, president, UPMC in Central Pa. “The Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in central Pennsylvania experience longer, healthier lives.”

To be awarded Gold Plus, a hospital must reach 85% compliance in over numerous quality measures as outlined by the American Heart Association for at least 24 consecutive months. The achievement measures are based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines established from the latest scientific evidence.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

Pioneers in cardiovascular health since 1956, doctors at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in central Pennsylvania were the first in the region to perform open heart surgery and the first to perform coronary artery balloon angioplasty. Other firsts include the implantation of a drug-eluting coronary stent, percutaneous (minimally invasive) aortic valve procedures (TAVR), and the implantation of FDA-approved percutaneous mitral valve repair device.

For more information on the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pennsylvania, visit UPMC.com/CentralPaHeart.