Queen of the Valley Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
“We are proud to be nationally-recognized for the exceptional care we provide to our patients," said Larry Coomes, Chief Executive. “This award is a testament to our caregivers and physicians who work every day to ensure patients receive prompt diagnosis and timely access to appropriate treatments—elements that are critically important in improving outcomes after a stroke.”
Queen of the Valley earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. This includes the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments, aligned with evidence-based guidelines to speed recovery and reduce death and disability. 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.
The hospital also was recognized on the association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll. To qualify, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, ortPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
This award is the hospital’s second stroke recognition in recent months. In October, the hospital earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for certification as a Primary Stroke Center, making it the only Certified Primary Stroke Center in Napa County.
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