Franciscan Health Indianapolis Earns Heart Failure Care Recognition From AHA

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Franciscan Health Indianapolis has received the American Heart Association's (AHA) Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus with Honor Roll.

The AHA designation recognizes the hospital's commitment to ensuring heart failure patients receive evidenced-based medicine and therapies within the heart failure guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence and research. The goal is to place patients on guideline-directed medical therapies to help improve their quality of life and reduce heart failure readmissions.

Franciscan Health Indianapolis earned the award by meeting specific quality metrics and maintaining them for a period of one year. These measures include placing patients on proper medications specific for heart failure and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients are evaluated by a cardiac navigator, educated on managing their heart failure and overall health, have a follow-up visit within seven days as well as other care interventions.

"This award attests to the dedication and hard work of our doctors, nurses and support staff at Franciscan Health Heart Center Indianapolis,” said Terri Ruff, vice president of operations for Franciscan Health Central Indiana. "The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success to improve patient outcomes."

The hospital has been the recipient of numerous Get With Guidelines and other cardiovascular care-related awards and accreditations over the years. Franciscan Health Indianapolis has received AHA's Heart Failure award each year since 2012 and the Honor Roll distinction the last two years.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. Many heart failure patients can lead full and enjoyable lives when their condition is managed with proper medications or devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.