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Awards and Accreditations

BMC Receives Further National Recognition for Cardiac and Stroke Care
January 6, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BMC Achieves New Awards for Care of Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke: Continues to Lead the Nation in Get with the Guidelines Honors PITTSFIELD, MA — The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association are again recognizing Berkshire Medical Center for its performance in treating cardiac and stroke patients with national Performance Achievement Awards for adherence to the Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines Program. With new awards for Performance Achievement in Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Stroke, BMC has now been recognized with eight consecutive Performance Achievement awards for outstanding performance in the care of patients with CAD, and is the only hospital in the nation so honored eight years running. BMC was also the first hospital in the United States to be honored with an award for stroke, and now holds five consecutive yearly Performance Achievement awards for outstanding care of stroke patients. In addition, BMC has three consecutive yearly Performance Achievement awards for care of patients with heart failure. “Berkshire Medical Center leads nationally with more Performance Achievement Awards than any other hospital in our program,” said Michael Weamer, CAE, Executive Vice President, American Heart Association, Founders Affiliate. GWTG is a hospital based quality-improvement program designed to ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. The program provides three modules that address coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Currently more than 1,450 hospitals use one or more GWTG modules. Upon meeting each module’s criteria, hospitals are recognized if at least 85 percent of their cardiac or stroke patients are treated and discharged according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s recommendations.