U.S. News & World Report

One of America’s Best Hospitals
Akron General Takes Top Heart Care Honors in Summit County
Akron General Medical Center has been listed by U.S. News & World Report Magazine in its 2006 ranking of Best Hospitals as having one of the best heart care programs in the America. The magazine ranked Akron General Medical Center as having the 30th best heart and heart surgery program in the country. This is the top ranking for heart care by any hospital in Summit County.

Akron General’s leadership in heart care is clearly demonstrated by a number of major advances: The designation of Akron General as having Summit County’s only accredited Chest Pain Center; the area’s first hospital to develop a comprehensive heart failure clinic; the area’s only Primary Stroke Center as designated by Joint Commission; and the area’s only hospital to acquire a 64-slice volume CT scanner, a revolutionary new imaging device that provides physicians with exquisitely detailed 3-dimentional scans of the heart within five beats.

Respiratory Care Among the Best in the U.S.
For the fifth year in a row, Akron General’s respiratory care program was named in the magazine’s listing among the nation’s top programs. Akron General Medical Center ranked 45th on this list.

Accredited by Joint Commission for Stroke

Primary Stroke Center as designated by Joint Commission
Akron General Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval ™ for stroke care. The Joint Commission, a prestigious national hospital accrediting organization, has awarded Akron General Medical Center a Primary Stroke Center Certification. Akron General earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review in December, 2004.

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program - the nation's first - in 2003.

Akron General's stroke program brings to the bedside the best practices which translate into positive outcomes for patients. A perennial leader in offering innovative, life-saving diagnostic and treatment modalities for stroke, Akron General Medical Center is one of a few selected medical centers in Ohio that participate in nationwide clinical trials which evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new techniques for the acute treatment of stroke.

A crucial element in effective stroke treatment is the time it takes to provide treatment. Akron General Medical Center's Stroke Team, including board certified critical care physicians, is available 24 hours, seven days a week, and is able to evaluate a patient presenting with stroke symptoms within five minutes of their arrival.

Akron General's Stroke Program is involved with the latest clinical trials, making the most innovative treatments for stroke available to area patients.

Chest Pain Center

Summit County's Only Accredited Chest Pain Center
The Akron General Heart & Vascular Center has been granted accreditation as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers. This designation makes the Heart & Vascular Center at Akron General Medical Center Summit County's only accredited chest pain center.

To earn status as a Chest Pain Center, hospitals receiving accreditation must successfully complete the Society's formal process in 8 key areas: Emergency Department integration with the Emergency Medical System; Emergency assessment of patients with symptoms of possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and timely diagnosis and treatment of ACS; assessment of patients determined to have low to moderate risk for ACS; functional facility design; personnel, competencies and training; organizational structure; process improvement orientation; and community outreach programs.

Community Benefit Award

Akron General Honored for Community Service
In 2005, Akron General Medical Center, led by CEO Alan Bleyer, received the Pillar Award for Community Service. This award was developed by Smart Business and Medical Mutual to honor businesses and individuals dedicated to making Northeast Ohio a better place to live.

As a teaching hospital, in 2005, Akron General provided $14 million in charity care for uninsured people and provided a wide range of health improvement programs and health screenings to benefit the community. We also provided more than $1 million in community benefit value through education offerings, programs, screenings and presentations.

Akron General continuously works with other area organizations to meet common health improvement goals for the community, allowing it to improve more lives than it could working alone.

Many of our employees volunteer their time and talents for the betterment of community health, and we are so proud of and thankful for them.