Hialeah Hospital has been diligent in its mission to serve the community’s healthcare needs. From being recognized as a leader in various specialties to expanding its medical services, the hospital continues to enhance patient care each year.

 

2014 began with Hialeah Hospital being accredited by The Joint Commission, in conjunction with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, as a certified Primary Stroke Center. This achievement signifies an organization’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients. Hialeah Hospital’s advanced certification demonstrates that its stroke program meets critical elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. The hospital was designated a Primary Stroke Center by the Florida Agency of Health Care Administration in 2012.

 

In early spring, Dr. Werner Andrade was appointed medical director of the hospital’s new Center for Weight Loss Surgery. The program offers minimally invasive procedures, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and lap-band surgery. As a testament to Hialeah Hospital’s commitment to providing the highest level of care for bariatric patients, its Center for Weight Loss Surgery was ranked the #1 bariatric program in Florida by Healthgrades and is designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

 

Hialeah Hospital was notified in April that it received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the treatment of stroke patients. The hospital also made the association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll for meeting stroke quality measures that reduce the time between hospital arrival and treatment with the clot-busting drug tPA. It is the only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

 

In August, Hialeah Hospital celebrated the opening of its new Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, of which Dr. Rossana Lopez was appointed medical director. The unit offers comprehensive psychiatric inpatient services for adults and specializes in the treatment of individuals with emotional disturbances, including depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Dr. Lopez is board certified in internal medicine and has extensive experience in geriatrics and psychiatry.

 

With 2014 coming to an end, Hialeah Hospital has its sights set on 2015 and is consistently working toward expanding its long list of achievements.