BARRINGTON, IL — Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital recently received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Bronze Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes Good Shepherd Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for patients who have had heart attacks.

Unfortunately, every year a significant number of people who have heart attacks around the country don't receive prompt treatment, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate patients from timely access to appropriate treatments.

Hospitals like Good Shepherd involved in Mission: Lifeline strive to improve care for patients experiencing a heart attack. Good Shepherd follows best practices in the initial treatment, such as time from ED to the Catheterization Lab, as well as ongoing care. As an example, before discharge appropriate patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation counseling.

“Good Shepherd Hospital is dedicated to making our cardiac unit among the best in the country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by developing systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for patients experiencing a heart attack,” said Karen Lambert, president, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care.”

About Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

Advocate Good Shepherd in Barrington, Illinois is a 169-bed acute care hospital with more than 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties. It is part of Advocate Health Care, named one of the Top Ten hospital systems in the U.S. by Thomson-Reuters. Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is ranked highest in Illinois for quality and patient safety according to Blue Cross Blue Shield’s 2011 Blue Star Report™. Advocate is a faith-based organization that exists to serve its communities. In 2010, Advocate provided more than $474,000,000 in charity care and services to its communities. For more about Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital: www.advocatehealth.com/goodshep

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