Medical Center nationally recognized for commitment to improve valvular heart disease outcomes

HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association for achieving the Target: Aortic Stenosis™ Honor Roll award through its commitment to improving care for this undertreated heart valve disease.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is one of the most common and serious heart valve disease problems. More than 1.7 million Americans over age 65 have severe aortic stenosis, and without valve replacement, as few as half survive beyond two years.  However, many patients are unaware or undiagnosed, which is why the American Heart Association continues to drive efforts for timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, improved quality of care initiatives and comprehensive patient and caregiver resources to combat the disease.

“We are proud to be recognized for our team’s dedication to improving heart valve disease care and treatment,” said Chris Osentowski, Chief Executive Officer. “The Target: Aortic Stenosis program helps us to optimize treatment pathways and bring together the patient, caregivers and providers to determine the best way forward. “This accomplishment stands as a testament to the commitment exhibited by our healthcare professionals, staff and the entire team at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center."

The American Heart Association launched Target: Aortic Stenosis to improve patient outcomes, starting at symptom onset and diagnosis through timely and appropriate treatment. The program consists of evidence-based measure development to better identify and treat patients, as well as multi-media educational resources for patients and health care professionals.

“Prior evidence has suggested that symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis are undertreated with aortic valve replacement, and this undertreatment is associated with a substantial adverse impact on symptoms, hospitalizations and survival,” said Gregg Fonarow, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer and interim chief of the division of cardiology, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, co-director of the Preventative Cardiology Program and the Eliot Corday Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and Science at the University of California, Los Angeles. “With a foundational understanding of Aortic Stenosis through the Target: Aortic Stenosis program, health care organizations can optimize treatment pathways and referrals to ensure patients receive the right level of care at the right time.”