For more information, contact: Scott Clark, Media & Public Relations 254-724-9724 or 254-724-3047 Pager: 254-762-1406 sdclark@swmail.sw.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2, 2008

Heart care and stroke programs praise Scott & White

TEMPLE, Texas – Scott & White is one of only three Texas hospitals to receive the American Heart Association’s Gold Performance Achievement Award for meeting high standards of care for patients with coronary artery disease and stroke.

“What that means,” said Celeste Frangeskou R.N., director of quality improvement at the AHA, “is that patients suffering a stroke or heart attack have a greater chance of survival if treated at Scott & White. The data clearly show that those hospitals who meet these guidelines have lower mortality rates.”

Scott & White earned the two recognitions by consistently meeting or exceeding the measured indicators over 24 consecutive months. It is the third time for Scott & White to be recognized by the AHA in this performance program.“This shows that our teams in cardiology and neurology have developed systems for providing quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Robert Pryor, chief medical officer at Scott & White.

As part of the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines stroke care program, Scott & White developed a comprehensive system for providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke among patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes being equipped 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide brain imaging scans, making neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

Get With The Guidelines is a program to help standardize care for coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke patients at participating hospitals. The program recognizes hospitals that have implemented systems that link the care they give with the latest scientific information.

“All of the team at Scott & White have a hand in this accomplishment and take great pride in providing care that ranks among the best in our business,” said Scott & White cardiologist Dr. John Erwin. “To be recognized for the care we provide is a great honor, but more important is the message this sends to patients who come to us and entrust us with their care.”

Coronary artery disease guidelines include aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation and weight management counseling and referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before being discharged. These standards of care are outlined in the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for patients with coronary artery disease.

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