Adventist Health Simi Valley Receives Two Awards

When it comes to stroke and heart attack care, Adventist Health Simi Valley has been recognized this week by the American Heart Association for its commitment to following national, evidence-based treatment that leads to the best outcomes for patients.

Adventist Health Simi Valley has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award; and the Mission: Lifeline Silver Receiving Quality Achievement Award. These awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring both stroke and heart attack patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized research-based guidelines.

“At Adventist Health Simi Valley, we know how critically important it is to provide quick, compassionate and safe care to individuals suffering from heart attacks and strokes,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Dingilian. “These recognitions from the American Heart Association reflect the lifesaving work our physicians and associates perform each day, to ensure patients have the best outcomes during these types of events. It also means that our community members can feel confident that the care they receive here in Simi Valley is among the best in the nation.”

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death nationally, according to the American Stroke Association, and the fourth leading cause of death among women in Ventura County. It is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. Meanwhile, roughly 250,000 Americans annually suffer from ST-elevated myocardial infarctions (STEMI), an often-fatal heart attack that causes blocked blood flow to the heart and requires immediate medical treatment.

Adventist Health Simi Valley has invested in treating these types of cases with two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs, where skilled physicians can clear blockages in the heart in minutes.

“We commend Adventist Health Simi Valley for this award in recognition for following evidence-based guidelines for timely heart attack treatment,” said Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “We applaud the significant institutional commitment to their critical role in the system of care for quickly and appropriately treating heart attack patients.”

Adventist Health Simi Valley additionally received the Association’s Type 2 Diabetes Plus Honor Roll, and Stroke Elite Honor Roll. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital, and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

“We are pleased to recognize Adventist Health Simi Valley for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee, and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative, can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”