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Forrest General Hospital has been designated a UnitedHealth Premium cardiac specialty center, reflecting national recognition of the cardiac care it provides. Among 36 other states in the nation, Forrest General is the only hospital in South Mississippi to receive this designation.

"We are honored to hold this title and extremely pleased to measure favorably against nationally-recognized quality and cost efficiency benchmarks for the outstanding cardiac care we provide to our patients," said Bill Oliver, Forrest General Hospital president.

Forrest General is the only hospital in the state to receive a designation from UnitedHealthcare for both quality and efficiency. The criteria for the designation were developed with input from a panel of nationally-recognized cardiac experts and based on guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, the Heart Rhythm Society and the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of more than 150 public and private organizations that provide healthcare benefits.

"Patients who require cardiac care need to know that they are getting quality treatment," said Lewis Sandy, MD, an internist and executive vice president of clinical strategies at UnitedHealthcare. "Our goal is to enhance the overall quality of care for our customers and enrollees. The UnitedHealth Premium designation signals to all consumers that Forrest General Hospital meets or exceeds nationally-recognized standards of care."

Forrest General's cardiac services recently won the 2006 Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence from Volunteer Hospitals of America (VHA), a national health care provider alliance of more than 2,400 not-for-profit health care organizations that work together to improve the health of the communities they serve.

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