Maui Memorial Medical Center recognized for excellence in heart and stroke care

Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) has again earned the highly distinguished Gold Plus and Target: Honor Roll Quality Achievement Awards from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With The Guidelines® (GWTG) program for excellence in heart and stroke care. 

This year marks the 16th consecutive year that MMMC has been awarded and more than 10 consecutive calendar years of Gold Plus achievement.

Additionally, this year, AHA recognized MMMC for excellence in resuscitating patients during in-hospital cardiac arrests with the GWTG Resuscitation Gold quality achievement award. The award, the highest possible honor for resuscitation, signifies that MMMC’s “Code Blue” response team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists consistently follow evidence-based best practices and the latest treatment guidelines when performing CPR on adult inpatients.

MMMC ranks among the top three hospitals in the state for these national honors. GWTG recognizes our team’s demonstrated commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating heart disease, cardiac arrest, and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times, fewer readmissions to the hospital, and a healthier community.

“These awards show Maui Memorial Medical Center’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Maui Memorial Medical Center can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions, and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families, and communities.”

2024 AHA Get With The Guidelines® awards:

• Heart Failure Gold Plus, Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes – MMMC is one of only two hospitals in the state to receive both the Heart Failure Gold Plus and Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll Awards. To obtain the honor roll distinction, hospitals must meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education.

• Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes – To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific high-performance criteria that reduce the time between a patient’s arrival and treatment with clot-buster therapy.

• Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ – This award recognizes hospitals that adhere to specific guidelines that ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.

• Resuscitation Gold – This quality achievement is awarded to hospitals that consistently meet resuscitation guidelines, including patient safety, medical emergency team response, and post-resuscitation care. MMMC is one of only two hospitals in the state to receive this award.

“Maui Health is dedicated to enhancing the care we deliver by following the most recent treatment guidelines and refining our processes to ensure prompt and effective treatment for heart attacks and strokes,” said Maui Health Chief Medical Director Michael Shea, MD. “We want to help our loved ones on Maui and Lanai live longer, healthier lives.” 

MMMC also meets specific scientific guidelines as a Certified Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. 

“Our caregivers are the most talented and dedicated individuals you will ever meet,” said Maui Health CEO Lynn Fulton. “We are incredibly proud and want to recognize and congratulate our team for their achievements.”