Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Recognized for Providing Gold-Plus Level Heart and Stroke Care

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital has received two awards from the American Heart Association: the Get With The Guidelines^®Stroke Gold Plus with Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll,and the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Award.  

The awards recognize the hospital for demonstrating commitment to quality patient care by following the most current research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke. 

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

“Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is committed to the highest level of patient care and safety,” said Dr. Edmund Wroblewski, Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Cottage Health. “The Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs provide our teams with proven knowledge and guidelines to improve our treatment of heart attacks and strokes so patients can live healthier lives.” 

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI (heart attack) patients. 

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines.

“We are pleased to recognize Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for its commitment to those who need cardiovascular care,” said Dr. John Warner, past president of the American Heart Association. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About Cottage Health – cottagehealth.org

The not-for-profit Cottage Health is the leader in providing advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. Specialties include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Hospital. The Cottage Health medical staff is comprised of more than 700 physicians, many with subspecialties typically found only at university medical centers. Last year, the Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided inpatient care for 21,000 people, treated 80,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,100 newborns. Cottage Health also offers Cottage Urgent Care Centers throughout the tri-counties, as well as 24-hour access to providers via Cottage Virtual Care, an online service for common conditions.