Michelle Mitchell or Brian Boisseau, 502/564-7996

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2004) - The Get With The GuidelinesSM-Coronary Artery Disease (GWTG-CAD) program is reaching major metropolitan and rural areas throughout Kentucky. The program was launched last year as a statewide Kentucky initiative and to date, 26 hospitals have implemented the American Heart Association’s secondary prevention guidelines.

These hospitals agreed to treat eligible patients according to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology’s secondary prevention guidelines for patients with coronary artery disease, as well as collect and report performance data using an internet-based patient management tool.

The success of 14 Kentucky hospitals now recognized as CAD hospitals was celebrated at a Get With The Guidelines ^{- Coronary Artery Disease Push Toward Perfection workshop on January 14 at the Marriott - Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington. The American Heart Association in collaboration with the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Cardiovascular Health Program, Kentucky Hospital Association, and Health Care Excel, Inc. honored these 14 hospitals for showing their commitment to increasing positive outcomes for their patients with coronary artery disease. The hospitals are: Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, Flaget Memorial Hospital, Hardin Memorial Hospital, Harlan ARH, Hazard ARH, Lourdes, McDowell ARH, Middlesboro ARH, Morgan County ARH, Russell County Hospital, St. Claire Regional Medical Center, St. Elizabeth Medical Center, University of Louisville Hospital, and Williamson ARH.}

During the recent workshop, participating hospital teams were taught how to adopt culture change that embraces quality improvement, and how to implement systematic quality improvement methodology. In addition Mukul Chandra, MD, associate director of the Coronary Care Unit at the University of Louisville Hospital, was named the Champion for the Kentucky Initiative and gave a presentation on emerging concepts for acute coronary syndrome centers and evidence-based cardiology. The American Heart Association’s National Director of Quality Improvement, Warren Skea, PhD, spoke about improving the foundation of quality hospital-based cardiovascular care.

On April 13, 2004, the Kentucky Department for Public Health along with the American Heart Association, Kentucky Hospital Association, Health Care Excel, Inc. as well as the Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Cardiology will offer the GWTG-CAD Program for nonparticipating acute care hospitals at a daylong workshop at the Sheraton Four Points in Lexington.

For more information about the Kentucky initiative call Michelle Mitchell, Health Program Development Specialist, Kentucky Cardiovascular Health Program at 502-564-7996. For questions regarding the GWTG-CAD program, visit <http://www.americanheart.org> or call Wende Miller, the American Heart Association’s Regional Director of Quality Improvement Initiatives, at 216-791-7500.