WRH earns AHA recognition

Whitfield Regional Hospital earned its first level of recognition from the American Heart Association Thursday for engaging with the AHA to follow stroke and cardiac care critical practice guidelines.

Debbie Cardwell, AHA Quality Systems Improvement Director for Alabama, presented Doug Brewer, CEO/Administrator, and the Emergency Department nursing staff with a certificate of participation in the program.

The AHA researches and publishes critical practice guidelines and encourages hospitals to follow them. Results have shown, “When hospitals engage with us,” and begin following the guidelines, “it is proven to be effective at every level of care,” Cardwell said.

WRH wanted to make sure it followed the AHA guidelines and has been working with the organization for several months, she said. “It only works if the whole group is on board.”

Cardwell expects to return for the next evaluation period in May to award either a bronze or silver level certificate.

She praised WRH for its commitment. “It is critical that rural hospitals have good stroke care,” she said. Unfortunately, in 2018 Alabama had the highest death rates in the nation because of strokes.

The hospital began its efforts to improve results of strokes and heart attacks in June 2018 when it offered telemedicine consultation with neurologists at UAB. Since then, said Brewer, response time for the treatment of strokes has dropped from six hours to under one.

“You guys have made a great choice” to offer stroke care and to partner with the AHA, Cardwell told staff members.