Featured image: White River Health System (WRHS) has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. Pictured from left to right is Shane Wood, emergency department (ED) manager; Charity Schaufler, ED quality and stroke facilitator; Journey Wood, ED charge nurse; Jennifer Campbell, trauma manager and stroke eacilitator; and Stacy Wright, trauma registrar and back-up stroke facilitator. Image via WRHS.
White River Health System (WRHS) has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award.
The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
WRHS earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments, aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, schedule a follow-up visit, as well as other care transition interventions.
“WRHS is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke initiative,” said Gary Paxson, president & CEO of White River Health System. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
“We are pleased to recognize White River Health System for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee, executive vice chair of neurology, and director of acute stroke services at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
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