Northside Forsyth Given Advanced Certification In Heart Failure

CUMMING, GA — Northside Hospital Forsyth has again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification in Heart Failure. The Gold Seal of Approval and the Heart-Check mark represents symbols of quality from their respective organizations.

“Receiving this advanced certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional heart failure care that Northside Hospital Forsyth provides,” said Patricia Tyson, director, Northside Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team of physicians, nurses and staff, who continually strive to advance our care even further each and every day.”

To receive the two-year Advanced Certification in Heart Failure, Northside Hospital Forsyth underwent a rigorous on-site review by The Joint Commission experts, who evaluated the hospital’s compliance with disease-specific care standards as well as with heart failure-specific requirements. The certification recognizes heart failure programs that include either a hospital-based and hospital-owned outpatient heart failure clinic or have a collaborative relationship with one or more attending cardiology practices. They also must have achieved at least a Bronze level of performance from American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure program and have a comprehensive heart failure-focused program staffed by qualified medical professionals.

Earlier this year, Northside Hospital Forsyth received American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Quality Achievement for heart failure. This year has been a very successful year for the hospital and its heart and vascular services. Northside has received American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Gold NSTEMI Achievement Award and Lifeline Gold Receiving STEMI Achievement.

It is estimated that close to 5.7 million Americans suffer from heart failure, a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs, according to American Heart Association. Although the heart keeps working, it’s not as effective as it should be. Each year, about 720,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 287,000 will die of heart failure. However, many patients can lead a full life through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.

Northside Hospital Forsyth offers a wide range of diagnostic, treatment and support services—encompassing the entire continuum of care for the heart and vascular patient. A team of board-certified cardiologists, vascular surgeons, cardiac-trained nurses and technologists at Northside has the highest level of expertise in diagnosing and treating disorders like coronary artery blockages, congenital heart defects, heart failure and stroke. For more information, visit https://www.northside.com/heartandvascular.