Upland Hills Health Recognized for Efforts to Improve Care for Heart Disease
People who live in rural communities live an average of three years less than urban counterparts and are 40% more likely to develop heart disease. Upland Hills Health is working to change those statistics.
For efforts to optimize cardiac-related care and improve patient outcomes, Upland Hills Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Rural Recognition Bronze awards for both non ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which is the most severe type of heart attack.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by community hospitals that play a vital role in providing cardiac care.
“We are proud that our team at Upland Hills Health is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in southwest Wisconsin who are affected by coronary artery disease, giving them the best chance of survival and the best possible quality of life,” said Upland Hills Health President and CEO Lisa Schnedler. “Our residents deserve high-quality, accessible emergency cardiac care. I’m proud of our team for their commitment to excellence and this achievement.”
The awards for NSTE-ACS and STEMI recognize hospitals for their efforts toward care excellence. This is demonstrated by their scores on seven guideline-directed care metrics each for STEMI and suspected NSTE-ACS.
“Patients and health care professionals in southwest Wisconsin face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, volunteer expert for the American Heart Association and co-director of the Center for Health Economics and Policy at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “Upland Hills Health has furthered this important work to improve care for everyone, regardless of where they live.”
