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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – All of Henry Ford Health System’s five hospitals that are equipped to treat stroke earned Gold Plus and Honor Roll status for stroke care excellence from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
This top quality achievement recognizes the hospitals’ commitment to ensuring patients with stroke receive the most appropriate and timely treatment according to nationally-recognized, research-based guidelines grounded in the latest scientific evidence.
The hospitals earned the awards by exceeding specific quality achievement measures for the treatment of stroke for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with evidence-based guidelines with the goal of reducing death and disability for patients who experience stroke. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other interventions to improve care transitions.
“When someone suffers a stroke, the brain loses approximately 1.7 million neurons per minute,” said Alex Chebl, M.D., director of the Division of Vascular Neurology for Henry Ford Health System and director of Henry Ford Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. “More than 85 percent of strokes are classified as ischemic, meaning it is sudden and caused by a clot cutting off blood flow to part of the brain. This can quickly lead to permanent damage or death, and that is why it’s critical to receive emergency medical care immediately. Our care teams are committed to diagnosing and treating stroke rapidly using the latest evidence-based guidelines to help save lives and avoid the lasting effects a stroke can have if not treated quickly.”
The specific award levels for each hospital, including Target: Stroke Honor Roll recognitions, are as follows:
- Henry Ford Allegiance Health – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Henry Ford Hospital – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Henry Ford Macomb Hospital – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Participation in Get With The Guidelines is the first level of recognition. It acknowledges entry of baseline data into the Patient Management Tool™. Beyond participation, there are three levels of recognition, determined by the length of demonstrated performance:
- Gold recognizes successful performance of 24 consecutive months or more.
- Silver recognizes successful performance of 12 consecutive months.
- Bronze: recognizes successful performance of 90 consecutive days.
The Gold Plus Quality Award is an advanced level of recognition, acknowledging hospitals for consistent compliance with Quality Measures embedded within the Patient Management Tool.
The Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite designation signifies that the hospital achieved time to thrombolytic therapy within 60 minutes in 85% or more of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV tPA. The Target: Stroke Honor Roll designation signifies that the hospital achieved time to thrombolytic therapy within 60 minutes in at least 75% of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV tPA.
All five Henry Ford hospitals were also recognized with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, which recognizes their commitment to ensuring patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized with a stroke.
“We are pleased to recognize Henry Ford Health System for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “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 the 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.
To learn more or request an appointment with a Henry Ford stroke specialist, please visit henryford.com/stroke.
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About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.