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BUFFALO, NEW YORK; AUGUST 13, 2009 - Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) has been recognized for achievement in using evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible care to patients through The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines^SM program.  

ECMC and 569 other hospitals are featured in a July 28 advertisement in the "America's Best Hospitals" issue of US News & World Report to commemorate their receipt of

Get With The Guidelines Gold or Silver Performance Achievement Award.  The awards are given for achievement in coronary artery disease, stroke and/or heart failure treatment. 

Hospitals are recognized in each category in which they achieve at least 85 percent compliance to Get With The Guidelines measures.  Those hospitals marking 85 percent compliance for 24 consecutive months are given the Gold Performance Achievement Award, with the Silver Performance Achievement award going to those with 85 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months. 

ECMC is a Gold Performance Achievement award-winning hospital, recognized for twoor more years at 85% or higher adherence in all performance measures applicable to coronary artery disease (CAD).  ECMC is the only Western New York hospital having achieved this level of success. 

Get With The Guidelines is a hospital-based quality-improvement program designed to ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations.  The program addresses coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke.  Currently more than 1,450 hospitals participate in the program. 

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's advertisement recognizes ECMC's commitment and success in performance achievement.   

"The American Heart Association is pleased to recognize its top Get With The Guidelines participants," said. Lee Schwamm, M.D., national chairman, of the Get With The Guidelines steering committee, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chairman of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital.  "Healthcare providers who use Get With The Guidelines are armed with the latest evidence-based guidelines and immediate access to clinical decision support.  The goal of this initiative is to ultimately improve the quality of life and help reduce deaths among heart and stroke patients." 

"We are pleased and proud that ECMC has been selected by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association as one of ‘America's Best Hospitals' to be recognized in US News & World Report for our achievements in the Get With The Guidelines program," said Jody L. Lomeo, Chief Executive Officer for ECMC Corporation.  "The Get With The Guidelines reports and tools enable ECMC professionals to effectively treat patients experiencing coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke." 

More about the ECMC Corporation

The ECMC Corporation includes an advanced academic medical center (ECMC) with 550 inpatient beds and 136 skilled-nursing-home beds, on- and off-campus health centers, over 40 outpatient specialty care clinics and the Erie County Home, a skilled nursing facility.  ECMC is the regional center for trauma, burn care, rehabilitation and is a major teaching facility for the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Most ECMC physicians, dentists and pharmacists are dedicated faculty members of the University.  More Western New York residents are choosing ECMC for exceptional patient care and customer service provided as a result of its Culture of Care.  For additional information about ECMC Corporation, log-on to: http://www.ecmc.edu/. 

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines^SM (GWTG) is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations.   For more information, visit americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines. 

News Contact:  Joe Cirillo: 716-898-4300 -or- jcirillo@ecmc.edu