Union General Hospital Receives ACC Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation
Press Release June 5, 2020
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized Union General Hospital for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with heart failure. Union General Hospital was awarded Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation in April based on rigorous onsite review of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with heart failure through pre-hospital care, early stabilization, acute care, transitional care, clinical quality measures and more. Union General is the only hospital in the state of Georgia to receive this exceptional accreditation and the 3rd in the nation.
Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Facilities earning Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation not only demonstrate management of advanced heart failure, but also provide heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support and meet other specific criteria for the Advanced designation.
Hospitals that employ an evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to managing heart failure have been able to reduce time to treatment, and are able to identify and predict high-risk patients while also reducing length-of-stay and hospital readmissions.
“Union General Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing Union County and surrounding counties with excellent heart care,” said Phillip D. Levy, MD, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Union General Hospital with Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation.”
Hospitals receiving Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care, developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing of guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the precise care of heart failure patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education, improved patient outcomes, and more effective and efficient disease control.
“We are excited to have our team’s efforts recognized for advanced excellence,” Julia Barnett, Union General Chief Nursing Officer said. “Not only does our staff provide quality care for heart failure patients in the hospital, but we’ve made it a priority to help educate these patients and our community on how to manage their symptoms in order to reduce the need for them to be admitted to the hospital for care.”
Union General Hospital is a licensed and accredited 45-bed, not-for-profit healthcare facility that serves the North Georgia and surrounding Tri-State communities. Over the past two years, Union General has received two recognition’s from the American College of Cardiology including Chest Pain Accreditation and now Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation. This dedication to continuous improvement of heart care proves Union General’s commitment to providing the highest quality heart care to their patients.
The ACC offers hospitals like Union General Hospital access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including heart failure.
The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As 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 bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who met stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.
Union General releases new guidelines, designates sick and well clinics
Health, News, Press Release March 27, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – In a press release issued by Union General Health System, the medical facility is updating its operating procedures and establishing sick and well clinics in the community.
In response to the Blairsville City Council’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency Ordinance, Union General Health System will no longer perform elective procedures/diagnostic testing, until further notice. The decision to perform procedures will be on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the patient’s physician, based on the needs of the patient.
*If you have a procedure or diagnostic testing that has already been scheduled, you will be contacted by the hospital if it needs to be postponed or rescheduled.
Beginning on Monday, March 30th, Union General Health System will designate certain clinics as either sick clinics or well clinics. Union General Family Medicine will be designated as a sick clinic seeing both sick children and sick adults, Union General Pediatrics will be designated as a well clinic only performing well-child visits and the Union General Hospital Young Harris Clinic will be designated as a well clinic only performing well-adult visits.
As a reminder, for the safety and well-being of our patients and staff, Union General Hospital and Chatuge Regional Hospital, are currently on lockdown, until further notice. All doors are locked and will remain locked except the Main Entrance/Emergency Room Entrance at Union General Hospital and the Emergency Room Entrance at Chatuge Regional Hospital. No visitors will be allowed until further notice.
If you need treatment at either facility, a wellness screening will be performed. A series of questions will be asked and your temperature will be taken. If you have a fever and respiratory symptoms and have traveled within a widespread affected area within the past 14 days, or had exposure to someone with a confirmed COVID-19 case, please ask for a mask immediately.
All Union General Health System affiliated facilities have taken COVID-19 precautions. Some of these include, the Union County Nursing Home and Chatuge Regional Nursing Home are no longer allowing any visitors into their facility to help protect the health of their residents. The Union General Wellness Center and Union General Hospital Suches Clinic have closed indefinitely to help reduce the spread of the virus.
Union General told Fetch Your News that its respective nursing homes are following CDC guidelines for long-term care facilities. These guidelines include:
- Restrict all visitation except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life situations
- Restrict all volunteers and non-essential healthcare personnel (HCP), including non-essential healthcare personnel (e.g., barbers)
- Cancel all group activities and communal dining
- Implement active screening of residents and HCP for fever and respiratory symptoms
COVID-19 is being increasingly reported in communities across the United States. It is likely that SARS-CoV-2 will be identified in more communities, including areas where cases have not yet been reported. As such, nursing homes should assume it could already be in their community and move to restrict all visitors and unnecessary HCP from the facility; cancel group activities and communal dining; and implement active screening of residents and HCP for fever and respiratory symptoms.
Here’s a copy of the CDC emergency preparedness checklist for nursing homes.
For more information on COVID-19 and the latest updates to Union General Health Systems facilities, please visit www.UnionGeneralHealthSystem.com.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2dCWk85Zw