Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham Earns National Recognition for Efforts to Improve Cardiovascular Treatment

The American Heart Association Presents Multiple Achievement Awards for Implementation of Quality Care for Patients

Needham, Mass. – Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Needham (BID Needham) has received three American Heart Association Achievement Awards for implementing quality improvement measures that ensure cardiovascular patients receive efficient and coordinated care, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer returns to the hospital.

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of cardiovascular disease – including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs help reduce barriers to prompt treatment for cardiovascular events. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham applied for the award recognitions by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care for patients.

“Our patients, and the care they receive at Beth Israel Hospital–Needham, are our number one priority. That’s why we’re proud to be among the hospitals recently recognized by the American Heart Association for our excellence in treating our patients with diabetes or stroke,” said John M. Fogarty, president, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham. “The Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs help put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients.”

This year, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham received the following Achievement Awards:

• Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll- A national honor roll program for hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines (HF, Stroke) to reinforce evidence-based guidelines with hospitals that qualify for a Silver level or higher achievement award in the related Get With The Guidelines module. These hospitals must be able to demonstrate at least 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months (calendar year) for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score” measure in the selected module.
• Target: Stroke Honor Roll – Elite- These hospitals, in addition to their achievement of Gold or Silver, are recognized for 75% or higher performance in Time to IV thrombolytic therapy in 60 minutes or less.
• Get With The Guidelines - Stroke: Gold Plus Achievement- These hospitals are recognized for two or more consecutive calendar years of 85% or higher adherence on all achievement measures applicable and 75% or higher adherence with additional select quality measures in stroke.

“We are pleased to recognize Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, FAHA, FAAN, FANA, national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Quality Oversight Committee and Vice President of Virtual Care, Director of the Center for Telehealth, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham (BID Needham) is a licensed 73-bed acute care community hospital. BID Needham has served residents in Needham and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The hospital has been recognized by several organizations for quality and safety, including five-out-of-five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group, the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission and the 2019 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.