Dignity Health’s Bay Area Hospitals Receive Get With The Guidelines Awards

Hospitals recognized for their commitment to quality stroke and heart failure care

SANTA CRUZ, CA. (June 8, 2017) –Dignity Health’s Bay Area hospitals— Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, and Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz—have received recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® quality improvement program. The awards recognize each hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate diagnosis and treatment of stroke or heart failure according to nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines.

• Saint Francis Memorial Hospital received the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and also qualified for recognition on the Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll.
• St. Mary's Medical Center earned the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and also qualified for recognition on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
• Sequoia Hospital received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.
• Dominican Hospital earned the Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation’s secondary prevention guidelines for patients with heart failure. Dominican also received the association’s Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll, an initiative designed to reduce the risk of heart failure patients ending up back in the hospital.

“We are proud to be recognized for our efforts to improve patient outcomes by quickly and safely treating stroke patients and speeding recovery and reducing readmissions for heart failure patients,” said Todd Strumwasser, MD, senior vice president of operations for the San Francisco Bay Area. “This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to ensuring stroke and heart failure patients receive the highest-quality care based on internationally-respected clinical guidelines developed using the latest scientific research.”

All four Dignity Health Bay Area hospitals are certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center and are CARF-accredited (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) in Adult Inpatient Stroke Specialty Rehabilitation. Dominican Hospital’s heart and vascular program also has received accolades from Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 best hospitals for coronary intervention and as among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery, and is designated as a Blue Shield Blue Distinction Specialty Care Center for Quality in Cardiac Care.

About Dignity Health Bay Area Hospitals
Dignity Health includes four accredited, not-for-profit hospitals in the Bay Area – Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. All four hospitals are Certified Stroke Centers, offer emergency services, and have received national recognition for superior safety and quality from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is home to the Bothin Burn Center, the largest dedicated burn unit in Northern California. Saint Francis also features the Center for Sports Medicine and the Saint Francis Orthopedic Institute, and specializes in emergency medicine. dignityhealth.org/saintfrancis

St. Mary’s Medical Center opened the nation’s first digital cardiac catheterization laboratory and continues to be a pioneer in multidisciplinary spine care. St. Mary’s also houses a Total Joint Center, a Comprehensive Cancer Center and is recognized for outstanding treatment of stroke. dignityhealth.org/stmarys

Sequoia Hospital, located in Redwood City, is a nationally known pioneer in advanced cardiac care, affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute. The hospital also offers award-winning maternity care, and has been recognized as one of America’s top 100 hospitals. dignityhealth.org/sequoia

Dominican Hospital is a certified Chest Pain Center and offers the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County. Dominican’s services include a total joint replacement program, a birth center, a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, and the hospital is a leading provider of cardiac and neurological services. dignityhealth.org/dominican