Kaiser Permanente Recognized For Stroke & Cardiac Care

Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals are being recognized by the American Heart Association for delivering high-quality, exceptional care to stroke and heart failure patients.

South Sacramento Medical Center is among the 20 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals that received the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award: Antioch, Fremont, Fresno, Modesto, Oakland, Redwood City, Richmond, Roseville, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, South San Francisco, Vacaville, Vallejo and Walnut Creek. Manteca also received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award.

AHA presents the awards to hospitals that are committed to using the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines founded in the latest scientific evidence. Kaiser Permanente hospitals are regularly recognized among the nation’s leaders in cardiovascular care.

According to a 2018 study in the American Journal of Medicine, the overall rates of heart disease and stroke mortality are lower for Kaiser Permanente Northern California members compared to the rest of the country. In 2000, for instance, U.S. heart disease mortality was 39.3 percent higher than in the Kaiser Permanente group, while stroke mortality was about the same for both. But by 2015, U.S. heart disease mortality was 43.2 percent higher than in Kaiser Permanente Northern California members and stroke mortality was 13.3 percent higher in the U.S. population than among the Kaiser Permanente members.

“These latest third-party recognitions are even more gratifying coming at a time of unprecedented challenges for our medical center,” said Peter Miles, MD, FACC, Physician-in-Chief, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento. “Despite these challenges, quality awards like these truly say something about the exceptionalism of our physicians and staff and the great teamwork we enjoy here in South Sacramento.”

“It’s comforting knowing that our patients and our entire community benefit from the exceptional care provided at our medical center,” added Trish Rodriguez, RN, Senior Vice President and Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento. “I am so proud of our physicians and employees who work so hard every day to make a difference in people’s lives by delivering not only excellent, but compassionate care.”

The Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award is earned by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

The Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award is earned by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.