St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center Earns National Recognition for Efforts to Improve Stroke Treatment

Friday, September 17, 2021

St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s® Stroke Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

According to the American Stroke Association®, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. 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. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

Get With the Guidelines-Stroke was developed to help healthcare professionals provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” says Krista Roberts, CEO, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”

Each year program participants apply for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once they are home.

“We are pleased to recognize St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “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.”

Additionally, St. Mary’s received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”