St. Claire HealthCare Joins American Heart Association Initiative

St. Claire HealthCare is excited to announce that it will be participating in a new initiative by the American Heart Association (AHA) to help eliminate rural health disparities. The Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator provides hospitals with access to “Get with the Guidelines” which provides unique resources for the health needs of patients in rural areas.

Those that live in rural areas, such as the counties served by SCH, face increased risks of heart disease and stroke, as well as living an average of three years shorter than those in urban areas. Through this initiative, the AHA and SCH hope to change that.

“St. Claire HealthCare is proud to be taking on this important work to help ensure the highest quality care for people in Eastern Kentucky, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Courtney Richards, MSN, RN, Administrative Director, Acute Care. “Meeting the unique needs of people in rural areas is critical to improving health for all.”

SCH will have access to additional professional research and an online community of other rural systems to encourage the sharing of resources and information to help the region. Through access to peer-to-peer communication with clinical experts and leaders from healthcare systems in various rural areas, SCH can help to research and develop new models and techniques to help people across the country.

“Patients and health care professionals in Eastern Kentucky face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, volunteer expert for the AHA, and co-director of the Center for Health Economics and Policy at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “St. Claire HealthCare will help shape this important work and improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”