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Hamilton Medical Center Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

HMC also recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

Hamilton Medical Center was recently recognized for high-quality stroke care. Stroke care specialists are pictured. In the front, from left, are Meagan Darnell, Sara Kate Rogers, Sumaiya Khondker, MD, and Camrie Ackerman. In the back are Beanie Jones, Laura Calderon, Kendall Black and Heather Wibberding.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

Are you at risk for a stroke?

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke 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.

an Darnell, MSN, RN

“Hamilton is committed to providing excellent patient care,” said Meagan Darnell, Stroke Program coordinator. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to continue providing quality healthcare, ensuring more people in this area can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Hamilton Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

Additionally, HMC received the Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition. To qualify for the Stroke Honor Roll Elite recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase. The Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition 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 stroke.

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001.

Hamilton Health Care System Names Chief Medical Officer

Hamilton Health Care System Names Chief Medical Officer - Andrew Bland, MDHamilton Health Care System (HHCS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew C. Bland, MD, to the position of vice president and chief medical officer.

Bland comes to Hamilton from The Joint Commission (TJC) where he was the medical director for the Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation. TJC accredits and certifies health care organizations and is recognized nationwide as the symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting specified performance standards.

Prior to his role with TJC, Bland was with Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) in Illinois, a 15-hospital system where he served as chief quality officer and chief medical officer among other duties. Additionally, Bland was the assistant dean for Faculty Development and associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria before joining HSHS.

Bland completed his undergraduate studies in cell and structural biology at the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts in Champaign, Ill. He then graduated with honors and was a James Scholar while obtaining his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, Ill. Bland completed combined residencies in internal medicine and pediatrics at St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, followed by a fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. In addition to his extensive medical and clinical background, Bland holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as well as a Masters of Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University in Chicago.

“Dr. Bland joins Hamilton’s long-standing commitment and dedication to providing the highest quality healthcare for the communities we serve,” said Jeff Myers, chief executive officer and president of Hamilton Health Care System. “We are pleased to have Andy join our leadership as we continue to grow and expand our services. The unique skillset which he brings to the team, including a diverse and extensive background in clinical practice, quality and healthcare business management, will be a significant asset to furthering the objectives of our quality, safety and strategic development initiatives.”

Bland and his wife, Angela, say they are excited to be relocating to the area and are looking forward to becoming an active part of the local community.

With locations across four counties in northwest Georgia, Hamilton Health Care System is a not for profit, fully united system of care. Known for its advanced care and personalized service, Hamilton Health Care System offers innovative treatment options in state-of-the-art facilities while maintaining a compassionate, friendly and tranquil healing environment. The most recent addition of the system, which opened April 1, is the Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, providing care for children who are experiencing the challenges of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or developmental delays.

The Dalton-based flagship of the system, Hamilton Medical Center (HMC), is a 282-bed regional acute-care hospital that offers major medical, surgical and diagnostic services, including award-winning, accredited stroke and chest pain centers. Peeples Cancer Institute, which will provide cancer care under one roof, will open in the fall of this year.

HMC was recently named a Top Hospital by Georgia Trend Magazine. Additionally, CareChex® has ranked Hamilton Medical Center in the top 10 percent in the nation in seven categories for 2018. In the Medical Excellence group, the recognized categories include: Overall Hospital Care, Overall Medical Care, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Orthopedic Care. In the Patient Safety group, the recognized categories included Cancer Care, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pneumonia Care.

 

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