Providence Saint John’s Health Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award demonstrates a hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific research.
Providence Saint John’s Health Center additionally received the association’s Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll award for its performance reducing the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator( tPA) to treat to ischemic stroke.
“Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. Someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds,” said Jason Tarpley M.D., Ph.D and medical director of Pacific Stroke and Aneurysm Center, an affiliate of Providence Saint John’s. “We’re proud to have earned a place on Stroke Elite Honor Roll Plus for treating patients with tPA in under 45 minutes, which is a milestone for our staff and ensures quality care for patients.”
Providence Saint John’s Health Center earned the award by meeting specific quality measures based on the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. Key metrics include evaluation treatments based on the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery, reducing disability and mortality for stroke patients. After treatment, patients receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, in addition to other care transition interventions.
“We are pleased to recognize Providence Saint John’s Health Center for its commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality initiative often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
