The honors are for its services and treatments for patients with cardiac disease and stroke.
Frederick, Md (KM) Congratulations go out to Frederick Health Hospital. For the fourth year in a row, it has won three nationally recognized awards from the American Heart Association. They are Get With The Guidelines—Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Gold; Get With the Guidelines–Coronary Artery Disease NSTMI Gold; and Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll & Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
In a news release, FHH says the goal of Get With the Guidelines is to reduce the system barriers to prompt, quick, reliable treatment for heart attacks, categorized at STEMI or NSTMI and stroke. STEMI and NSTMI are forms of heart attacks.
The Hospital says it treated over 2,160 cardiac patients last year. “The prevalence of heart disease is rising due to our older population,”: says Amy Burrier, Director of Cardiac and Vascular Services at FHH. “Once again, it looks at the modifiable risk factors which is lifestyles, diet, weight, diabetes, high cholesterol.”
Burrier says other risks could be gender, ethnic background and hereditary factors.
She says one way to cut down on your risk for cardiac arrest or heart diseases is a change in lifestyle. “Visiting your PCP routinely which looks at body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol screening. Also, once again, physical activity. Some exercising, just getting out every day and walking for 20 minutes. If you’re a smoker, stop smoking,” says Burrier.
A PCP is a primary care provider.
Burrier also says it’s would be worthwhile to learn CPR to assist when a family member, friend or another person is having a heart attack.
Regarding strokes, Frederick Health Hospital says it treated more than 500 stroke patients last year. Chris Wood, the Hospital’s Stroke Coordinator, says some of the reasons for stroke include “high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation . Those are things that you could modify.”
She says some of the signs of stroke include sudden changes in balance, including difficulty in walking and sensation of movement. It also includes a sudden onset of dizziness.
Wood says one way to keep in the mind the signs of stroke is remembering the words BE FAST: “Balance, Eyesight, Face, Arms Speech, and T is Time. Time is one of the most important things when we talk about the care for stroke,” she says.
But there are ways to lessen your chances of getting a stroke. “Keeping your blood pressure under control. Your cholesterol under control. You diet. Moderately intensity exercise.; American Heart recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. That’s only about 20 minutes per day. And you can break that up into two, ten- minute sessions per day,”: says Wood.
FHH reminds residents that if someone nearby is having a heart attack or a stroke, call 911 immediately.
By Kevin McManus