Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City—The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have recognized LDS Hospital for success in meeting the AHA's 2007 Get With the Guidelines program designed to improve care for heart patients.

Get With The Guidelines is an evidence-based program for in-hospital quality improvement. It is designed to help hospitals use the latest scientific guidelines when caring for cardiac patients who suffer from coronary artery disease, stroke, and heart failure.

Hospitals, physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers who use the Get With The Guidelines data are armed with the latest evidence-based cardiac treatment guidelines. This means that patients are getting the most current standard of care to achieve the best possible outcome.

Intermountain Healthcare's McKay-Dee Hospital, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, and Dixie Regional Medical Center were also recognized for their success in the Get With the Guidelines program.

"That is a remarkable accomplishment for each individual hospital, as well as for Intermountain as a system," says Donald Lappe', M.D., chief of cardiology at LDS Hospital. "What it says is that no matter where you live in Utah, there is an exceptional heart facility nearby."

Get With The Guidelines utilizes specific measurements and standards that reflect the current standard of clinical cardiovascular care that is embraced by the wider, national cardiology community, according to Patrick Fisher, M.D., assistant director of LDS Hospital's Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Program.

"The Get With the Guidelines program encourages hospitals to be more proactive in their approach at achieving excellence in cardiac care. The elements measured through this program directly reflect patient outcomes and make a real difference in the length and quality of life for heart patients," he says.

Guidelines include ensuring that all heart attack patients are discharged from the hospital with specific medications, including things like aspirin, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and lipid-lowering medicine, if indicate – processes heart specialists at LDS Hospital have pioneered and implemented for many years.

"There is clear evidence that following these guidelines improves the outcome for patients," says Dr. Fisher. "We are constantly monitoring, measuring, and improving the way we care for our heart patients so they receive the very best evidence-based care possible."

In fact, according to Dr. Lappe', Intermountain was among the first healthcare systems to set standards and demonstrate that evidence-based medicine makes a significant difference in patient outcome.

"We published evidence back in 2002 that showed that evidence-based guidelines could be implemented and achieved over a wide geographic area and among different-sized hospitals. Intermountain has been the inspiration for best-care medicine across the country," he says.

"Salt Lake residents don't necessarily realize what an astonishing resource they have in LDS Hospital and soon Intermountain Medical Center, says Dr. Fisher, who recently came to Intermountain from Stanford University Medical Center. "The heart program here is on or above par with the top institutions across the nation. In fact, Intermountain Healthcare is well known among the national cardiology community as a long-time leader in cardiac care, clinical outcomes, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support."

"One of the major distinguishing features that sets Intermountain apart from the other national cardiac programs is its drive and passion to be at the forefront of cutting-edge patient care and clinical research," he adds.