St. Mary’s Hospital, the flagship facility of St. Mary’s Health Care System, has received the American Heart Association’s 2022 Silver Get With The Guidelines® - Resuscitation quality achievement award for its commitment to treating in-hospital cardiac arrest, ultimately helping to improve survival rates.

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Each year, more than 300,000 adults and children experience an in-hospital cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Survival from cardiac arrest largely depends on timely medical emergency team response and effective CPR.

AHA developed the Get With The Guidelines - Resuscitation program to help hospitals save lives of patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrests by consistently following the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for treatment as outlined by the AHA. Guidelines include following protocols for patient safety, medical emergency team response, effective and timely resuscitation (CPR) and post-resuscitation care. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines.

“St. Mary’s is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest resuscitation guidelines,” said Candice Frix, Chief Nursing Officer. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help more patients who have cardiac arrest survive. The end goal is to ensure more people in Northeast Georgia can experience longer, healthier lives.”

St. Mary’s received the award for meeting specific measures in treating adult patients who experience cardiac arrest in the hospital.

“We are pleased to recognize St. Mary’s for its commitment in following these guidelines,” said Tia Raymond, M.D., national chairperson of the AHA’s Resuscitation Systems of Care Advisory Group and a pediatric cardiac intensivist at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas. “Hospitals that participate in Get With The Guidelines often see improved patient outcomes and improved survival rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that 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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.