Overlake Medical Center & Clinics is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality heart failure and stroke care

Overlake Medical Center & Clinics has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® - Heart Failure and Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement awards, reflecting its commitment to improving patient outcomes and ensuring heart failure and stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized and research-based guidelines.

About 6 million adults nationally are living with heart failure (HF), a number that is expected to increase to more than 8 million by 2030. HF is when the heart is having difficulty pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. While there’s no cure for HF, patients can live a higher quality of life by working with their healthcare team to create and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring and lifestyle changes.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

This is where the Get with the Guidelines programs come into play to drastically improve patient care and outcomes. 

The Get with the Guidelines - Heart Failure quality achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association. Get with the Guidelines - Stroke quality achievement is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

“Here at Overlake, we strive every day to provide the most advanced care available to our patients,” said J. Michael Marsh, Overlake president and CEO. “These awards reflect our commitment to utilizing evidence-based guidelines to not only help our patients recover but live longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for HF and stroke patients.

“We are pleased to recognize the leaders and teams at Overlake for a strong commitment to caring for people with heart failure and stroke,” said Sabra Lewsey, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Heart Failure System of Care Advisory Group and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Hospitals that participate in Get with the Guidelines, often see better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for families, communities and healthcare systems.”

We are pleased to have also been recognized on the American Heart Association’s Target: Heart Failure^SM Honor Roll. Hospitals on the Honor Roll meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education. The goal is to further reduce hospital readmissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing this chronic condition.

Additionally, Overlake received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.