HUNTSVILLE, AL, ― Crestwood Medical Center is proud to announce it has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award, and AFIB Gold Quality Achievement Award. These awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke, heart failure, and AFIB patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
Crestwood earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

Get With The Guidelines®- Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award
Crestwood earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

Get With The Guidelines®- AFib Gold Quality Achievement Award
Crestwood earned the award for meeting specific quality achievement measures at a set level for a designated period. These measures include providing appropriate medications and aggressive risk reduction therapies to prevent stroke, stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and treat additional heart disease. Before discharge, patients should also receive education and counseling on managing their condition and plans on follow-up care.

“Crestwood is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke, Heart Failure, and AFIB initiatives,” said Rhonda Buckley, Director of Emergency Management and Clinical Services. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

“We are pleased to recognize Crestwood for their commitment to stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

For more information about stroke care at Crestwood and Crestwood Cardiovascular Services, please visit our heart care page or call (256) 429-4000.

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 tools and resources to increase adherence to 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 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

Huntsville, AL – Crestwood Medical Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR ACTION Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2018. Crestwood is one of only 95 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. The award recognizes Crestwood Medical Center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Crestwood has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the ACTION Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award, Crestwood has demonstrated sustained achievement in the ACTION Registry for four consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

“As a Silver Performance Award recipient, Crestwood Medical Center has shown it is a leader in implementing standards of care and protocols for its patients,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, Chair, ACTION Registry; Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart and Vascular Center; and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. “By meeting the requirements set forth in the registry and establishing a culture of providing guideline-recommended therapy, Crestwood Medical Center is saving lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients.”

The Center for Disease Control estimates that over 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

“Crestwood is pleased to receive the ACTION Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award,” said Rhonda Buckley, Director of Emergency Management and Clinical Services at Crestwood. “With cardiovascular disease rising in Alabama, it is more important than ever to provide scientific-based care. This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to delivering a higher standard of care for heart attack patients.”

ACTION Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.

Crestwood Medical Center and the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville are happy to announce that six local nonprofit organizations in the Huntsville area will receive grants distributed from the Crestwood Women & Families Fund in 2018.

The mission of the Crestwood Women & Families Fund is to establish a grant-making fund for high-impact grants to address the issues and meet immediate needs of women and families in our community. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation.

Crestwood employees, volunteers and individuals within the local community contributed approximately $17,500 to replenish the fund prior to 2018 distributions. Not-for-profit organizations in the community who serve women and families were invited to apply for grant funding by following a formal process. An Advisory Committee consisting of members of the Crestwood Women’s Advisory Council, Crestwood Medical Center employees, and volunteers met to review applications and recommended grants to selected organizations. The Advisory Committee elected to donate the entire balance raised over the past year to a select group of organizations who applied.

Since its founding in 2014, the Crestwood Women & Families Fund has donated almost $100,000 to support organizations in our community who assist women and families.

The following organizations will receive grants in 2018 from the Crestwood Women & Families Fund to support their programs:

305 8th Street
Assistance providing a home for mentally disabled women in our community

Alzheimer’s Association
Support families and patients

The Care Center
Providing Bags of Blessings (weekend food bags) for children

Clothe Our Kids of North Alabama
Clothing/Shoes – unmet needs for children in our community

Huntsville Assistance Program
Emergency assistance (food, rent, utilities) for non-homeless families in Huntsville

Shepherd’s Cove Foundation
Grief counseling for children and families

Those interested in contributing to this fund to continue supporting organizations in our community who assist women and families should visit www.communityfoundationhsv.org/cwff or mail check made out to the Community Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 332, Huntsville, AL 35804. Please indicate Crestwood Women & Families Fund in the memo portion of your check.

(Huntsville, AL)- Crestwood Medical Center announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.

Crestwood Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review on January 30, 2018. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

“Crestwood Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Crestwood Medical Center for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”

“We congratulate Crestwood Medical Center for achieving this designation,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines Crestwood has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”

“Crestwood is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Pam Hudson, CEO of Crestwood Medical Center. “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as to continually strive to advance our care even further.”

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011).

Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

About The Joint Commission:
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association:
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke- America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The familiar Heart-Check mark now helps consumers evaluate their choices in hospital care. Each mark given to a hospital is earned by meeting specific standards for the care of patients with heart disease and/or stroke. The Heart-Check mark can only be displayed by hospitals that have achieved and defined requirements set by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. For more information on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Hospital Accreditation Program visit www.heart.org/myhospital.

Following these 5 steps could greatly decrease your chances of catching the flu this year.

	1. Wash Your Hands 8 Times a Day Washing your hands is one of the most effective and easiest ways to prevent infection. Wash your hands: Before you eat After you use the bathroom Any time you sneeze, cough or do anything that gets your hands dirty
	2. Watch What You Touch The average person touches their face 3-5 times each minute. Germs from your hands can get near your eyes and mouth, spreading bacteria and infections. After touching things like your keyboard or the office coffee pot, keep your hands off of your face.
	3. Stay Away from Sick People One of the fastest ways to get the flu is by coming into direct contact with those who have it. Encourage sick friends and family to stay at home until they feel better.
	4. Sneeze and Cough Properly When you feel a sneeze or a cough coming on, turn away from people within 6 feet of you, bring your sleeved arm up to your face, and sneeze into your elbow.
	5. Get Vaccinated The vaccine’s effectiveness can range widely from season to season, and can vary on the person being vaccinated. If you do get sick, the flu vaccination may make your illness milder and can reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes such as hospitalizations and even death.

If you do get sick, stay at home!
Don’t take a chance on spreading the flu to friends and coworkers. Stay at home, get plenty of rest and follow your doctor’s recommendations.

Talk to your doctor today. Visit our medical group or click here to find a doctor near you.

Healthgrades Analyzes Patient Outcomes in Nearly 4,500 Hospitals

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Crestwood released today that it has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ for Spine Surgery. Healthgrades evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 34 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions.* Healthgrades identified the 100 best-performing hospitals across all conditions or procedures evaluated within orthopedics.

The achievement is part of findings released in the Healthgrades 2018 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically between hospitals nationally, regionally and at the local level, and the impact that this variation may have on health outcomes. For example, from 2014-2016, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery Award have, on average 47.9% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.*

(Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2014 through 2016 and represent 3-year estimates for Medicare patients only.)

“This achievement exemplifies our team’s effort to assure quality care for patients,” said Pam Hudson, CEO of Crestwood Medical Center. “I am very proud of all who were involved in making this happen: spine surgeons, OR team, nurses, therapists, and other support staff who work daily to achieve our mission of providing exceptional care and service in a safe and compassionate environment. ”

Spine surgeons participating in this program and receiving recognition include the following: Sanat Dixit, MD; Curt Freudenberger, MD; John Johnson, MD; Larry Parker, MD; Javier Reto, MD; Calame Sammons, MD, and Morris Seymour, MD.

Crestwood has achieved Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery™ for 2 Years in a Row (2017-2018) and is the only facility in Northern Alabama to receive this distinction

“Many consumers believe that hospital quality is standardized, though the reality is that clinical quality and outcomes at hospitals vary widely across the country,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Healthgrades, Chief Medical Officer. “The hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery distinction have demonstrated a commitment to exceptional quality of care and can distinguish themselves to consumers seeking care at highquality facilities.”

*For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluate outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 17 states. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2018 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2014 through 2016 and represent 3-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

Crestwood Medical Center again offering free application assistance

If you need help comparing plans or filling out an application on the Health Insurance Marketplace, Crestwood Medical Center once again is offering free assistance during open enrollment, Nov. 1, 2017 – Dec. 15, 2017.

Appointments may be made with the hospital’s certified assisters by calling 256-429-4842, or can be booked online: www.GetCoveredAmerica.org/connector.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, and this year’s open enrollment marks the fifth annual campaign to extend healthcare coverage to citizens who otherwise might remain uninsured. More than 12 million people enrolled in Marketplace plans for 2017.

One change to take note of this year is the shorter open enrollment period. The 2018 open enrollment period closes on Dec. 15, which is 45 days shorter than last year’s open enrollment.

Premiums have risen significantly this year, but the premium increases may not affect all plans. This makes it more important than ever to shop around. Reports indicate the majority of enrollees will be insulated from premium increases, since eight in 10 receive subsidies based on income/household size. (As premiums rise, subsidies increase.)

Any changes to premiums or deductibles will vary widely state-to-state, and in some instances, even county-to-county, since the number of insurers in each location influences competitive pricing, and insurers continuously enter and exit different markets.

Majority of enrollees will receive assistance
To help make health insurance affordable, the government uses household income to determine who is eligible for financial assistance. This aid might include advanced tax credits to help pay for premiums, or discounts on co-pays and deductibles. As in past years, a majority of enrollees are expected to qualify for some type of financial support in 2018. Individuals who are re-enrolling on the marketplace are encouraged to re-evaluate and compare plans, as the lowest-cost option can change from year to year.

All health plans on the Marketplace must offer a comprehensive set of benefits, and coverage cannot be denied for individuals with a pre-existing health condition. Some of the health benefits include free preventive care and wellness services, doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital and emergency department care, lab services, pediatric services, and mental and behavioral health treatment.

Penalties
Individuals who are eligible for health insurance but do not purchase coverage not only pay a penalty when filing their tax return, but also they forfeit financial help with healthcare expenses throughout the year. The penalty is either 2.5% of family income or a predetermined flat rate, whichever is higher. The 2016 penalty was $695 per adult, $347.50 per child, with a maximum fee of $2,085; these fees will be adjusted for inflation in 2018.

About Crestwood Medical Center
Crestwood Medical Center is a community healthcare provider with a 180-bed full-service acute care hospital offering the latest medical advancements and surgical and diagnostic procedures while providing compassionate care.

Providing grants to address the issues and meet immediate needs of women and families in the Huntsville community.

Huntsville, AL – Crestwood Medical Center and the Community Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County are happy to announce that seven local nonprofit organizations in the Huntsville area will receive grants distributed from the Crestwood Women & Families Fund in 2017.

The mission of the Crestwood Women & Families Fund is to establish a grant-making fund for high-impact grants to address the issues and meet immediate needs of women and families in our community. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation.

Crestwood employees, volunteers and individuals within the local community contributed approximately $20,000 to replenish the fund prior to 2017 distributions. Not-for-profit organizations in the community who serve women and families were invited to apply for grant funding by following a formal process. An Advisory Committee consisting of members of the Crestwood Women’s Advisory Council, Crestwood Medical Center employees, and volunteers met to review applications and recommended grants to selected organizations. The Advisory Committee elected to donate the entire balance raised over the past year to a select group of organizations who applied.

The following organizations will receive grants from the Crestwood Women & Families Fund to support their programs:

1. Care Assurance System for the Aging & Homebound (CASA) of Madison County
   • Hearing & Vision Services – unmet needs of at-risk senior women
2. Clothe Our Kids of North Alabama
   • Clothing/Shoes – unmet needs for children in our community
3. Community Free Dental Clinic
   • Dental care for poverty level adults in Madison County
4. Food Bank of North Alabama
   • Backpack and Kids Harvest programs to serve children in our community
5. Huntsville Assistance Program
   • Emergency assistance (food, rent, utilities) for non-homeless families in Huntsville
6. Inside-Out Ministries
   • Emergency assistance (food, rent, utilities) for single women and single mothers and their families
7. Kids to Love Foundation
   • Provide food, clothing and home for tween/teen foster girls at Davidson Farms

Those interested in contributing to this fund to continue supporting organizations in our community who assist women and families should visit http://www.communityfoundationhsv.org/give/donate (Fund/Agency Name: Crestwood Women & Families Fund) or mail check made out to the Community Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 332, Huntsville, AL 35804. Please indicate Crestwood Women & Families Fund in the memo portion of your check.

About Crestwood Medical Center
Crestwood Medical Center is a 180-bed full-service acute care hospital offering the latest medical advancements and surgical and diagnostic procedures, while providing compassionate care.

About the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville
Mission: The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville serves as the trustee of our community’s future, fostering philanthropy and mobilizing partners, while striving for an exceptional quality of life both today and tomorrow. Since the founding in 2009, the Community Foundation has raised or managed over $18,000,000 for charitable causes and has distributed, on behalf of donors, over $7,000,000 to local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations.

Not-for-Profit Organizations Can Apply to Request Funding for Community Projects

Huntsville, AL – Crestwood Medical Center and the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville announce that the Crestwood Women & Families Fund grant application is now available for nonprofit organizations seeking funding.

The mission of the Crestwood Women & Families Fund is to establish a grant-making fund for high-impact grants to address the issues and meet immediate needs of women and families in our community. This fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville..

Not-for-profit organizations in the community who serve women and families are invited to apply for grant funding by following a formal process. An Advisory Committee consisting of members of the Crestwood Women’s Advisory Council, Crestwood Medical Center employees, and Crestwood volunteers meet to review applications and recommend grants to selected organizations. Grant applications are now being accepted from not-for-profit organizations through October 6, 2017.

Applications are available at http://communityfoundationhsv.org/cwff or by email request at womenfamiliesfund@crestwoodmedcenter.com.

About Crestwood Medical Center
Crestwood Medical Center is a 180-bed full-service acute care hospital offering the latest medical advancements and surgical and diagnostic procedures, while providing compassionate care.

About the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville
Mission: The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville serves as the trustee of our community’s future, fostering philanthropy and mobilizing partners, while striving for an exceptional quality of life both today and tomorrow.

Since the founding in 2009, the Community Foundation has raised or managed over $18,000,000 for charitable causes and has distributed, on behalf of donors, over $7,000,000 to local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations.