ROCKPORT — Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) has received the American Heart Association’s ‘Get With The Guidelines ® -AFIB’ Silver Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Get With The Guidelines-AFIB was developed to assist healthcare professionals provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for patients with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke and other complications.

PBMC earned the award for meeting specific quality achievement measures at a set level for a designated period. These measures include providing appropriate medications and aggressive risk reduction therapies to prevent stroke, stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and treat additional heart disease. Before discharge, patients should also receive education and counseling on managing their condition and plans on follow-up care.

“PBMC is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with atrial fibrillation by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-AFIB initiative,” said PBMC Chief Medical Officer Mark Eggena, M.D., in a news release. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

“We are pleased to recognize Pen Bay Medical Center for its commitment to atrial fibrillation 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. “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.”

According to the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million adults suffer from atrial fibrillation. The condition accounts for about one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a five-fold increase risk of stroke. Proper treatment of atrial fibrillation can reduce these risks.

About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines ® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program and provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 6 million patients since 2001.

For more information, visit www.heart.org.

Pen Bay Medical Center
Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a nonprofit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization.

With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire.

For more information, visit pbmc.org.