BRG ranks in top 10 nationwide for fewest return visits after a heart attack

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) ranks in the top 10 nationwide for the fewest hospital return days after a heart attack, one of several metrics tracked by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help patients determine quality of care while choosing a hospital.

A hospital return day means that a patient hospitalized for a heart attack comes back to the hospital within 30 days after discharge, either to the emergency room, under observation or admitted as inpatient. These return visits are disruptive for patients, increase their risk of healthcare-associated infections, and can cost more money.

“We know that patients are most at risk for readmission right after discharge when they are often trying to follow new medication directions, making lifestyle changes, and managing follow-up appointments,” said W. Keith Kellum, ND, chief medical officer at BRG. “Our teams consistently make communication and care coordination top priorities. We comprehensively prepare patients for their return home through discharge instructions, education, and ensuring they have access to needed resources.”

Patient typically stay in the hospital anywhere from 2 days up to a week after a heart attack, depending on their specific situation, potential complications or the type of procedure, like a bypass surgery. Once home, recovery can take up to three months.

“The advanced and innovative technology available now allows us to perform more complex procedures to treat patients who present with heart attacks,” explained Dr. Garland Green, interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS). “Our low readmission rates for heart attacks show how CIS and BRG strive to get patients back to their normal routines and the things that they love, with less risk of returning to the hospital.”

In addition to fewer hospital return days for heart attack patients, BRG has established best practices for starting treatment for heart attacks. The hospital’s intervention times are about 47 minutes, well below the national standard of 90 minutes. In the ambulance, patient care begins immediately, including an EKG that is transmitted straight to an emergency room physician for evaluation. If a heart attack is suspected, a team at the hospital is deployed to prepare for the patient’s arrival, including a cardiologist, the cardiac catheterization lab team, and the ER team. Once the patient arrives at BRG, they are taken straight to the cath lab for treatment, saving valuable minutes to life-saving care.

For more information, visit brgeneral.org.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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