GWTG is the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality program.  There are more than 1,500 hospitals participating in the program.  The guidelines used in GWTG derive from evidence-based research that point to key measures to improve coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke patient outcomes.  Improving patient outcomes for heart disease is critical.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States.

In order to receive the Gold Performance Awards, SLU Hospital had to follow guidelines in all three areas of treatment at least 85 percent of the time and maintain the performance level for over two or more years.  SLU Hospital is the only hospital serving both Missouri and Illinois that received all three Gold Performance Awards.

“This recognition is a testament to the determination of our caregivers to achieve excellence with each and every patient,” says Crystal Haynes, chief executive officer of SLU Hospital.  “Saint Louis University Hospital believes strongly in participating in evidence-based medicine, quality programs that help shape recommended guidelines for hospitals, and eventually produce universally accepted best practices.”

SLU Hospital is a level one trauma center, caring for critically ill people everyday.  When suffering a heart attack or stroke, time is of the essence.  SLU Hospital has dedicated cardiac response and stroke response teams on hand around-the-clock to immediately care for patients presenting the signs of a heart attack or stroke.  In addition to rapid response measures, SLU Hospital is equipped with an angiography suite which includes the latest in interventional radiology technology.

“These awards are a reflection of the high level of care provided by the Cardiovascular and Stroke teams at Saint Louis University Hospital,” says Arthur Labovitz, MD, chief of Cardiology at SLU Hospital.  “Our state of the art, evidence based treatment of stroke and heart disease is a long standing tradition at Saint Louis University and one which we take great pride.”

In addition to being a comprehensive center for the treatment of heart disease, SLU Hospital is also a regional leader in stroke care.  In 2007, SLU Hospital founded the MidAmerica Stroke Network as a patient centered network that shares information, educational opportunities and a high level of stroke expertise with member hospitals.  Over twenty seven hospitals in both Missouri and Illinois belong to the MidAmerica Stroke Network.

About Saint Louis University Hospital
Saint Louis University Hospital is a 356-licensed bed quaternary/tertiary referral center located in the heart of the city of St. Louis. Approximately 75 percent of our patients are drawn from a 150-mile radius of the hospital, and the rest come to us from outside this 150-mile area. Through our affiliation as the teaching hospital for Saint Louis University, we provide our patients and their families with an environment of medical innovation. We are smaller than most major academic medical centers, which allows our physicians and staff the chance to know our patients and their families better. Working with us in this endeavor are our medical staff partners, SLUCare, the physicians of Saint Louis University. The hospital admits more than 17,000 patients annually, performs more than 200 organ transplants a year and is a Level I Trauma Center that treats more than 2,000 major trauma cases a year. For more information, please visit www.sluhospital.com.

*For more information about the American Heart Association/America Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines program, please visit www.americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines.