LEXINGTON, Ky. — Saint Joseph Hospital has received national recognition from the American Heart Association, earning its Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award and the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Saint Joseph Hospital earned the awards for its commitment to providing quality care for stroke patients, ensuring they receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“The Get With the Guidelines program recognizes that our caregivers are following the latest treatment guidelines to help stroke patients live longer, healthier lives,” said Anthony Houston, Ed.D., FACHE, CEO, CHI Saint Joseph Health. “We are committed to providing the highest quality of care for our patients and are proud that Saint Joseph Hospital continues to make a difference in our community and the patients we serve.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are vital to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines–Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Saint Joseph Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home. To qualify for the Stroke Elite Honor Roll, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.
