Feb 12 2010
Adventist Medical Center (AMC) recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's (AHA/ASA) Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) - Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes AMC's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations provided by the AHA/ASA.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time”
"With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time," said Dr. Howard Taylor, stroke program medical director at AMC. “Our system of rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the hospital's newly expanded emergency department is saving lives and improving outcomes for stroke patients. We are honored to receive this recognition and proud to be able to offer the community leading medical care during the times when they need it most.”
To receive the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, AMC was required to maintain 85 percent compliance to core standard levels as outlined by the AHA/ASA for 24 consecutive months. These requirements include aggressive use of acute care therapies such as antithrombotic medications, anticoagulation therapy and secondary prevention tools such as cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation. The implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines, such as smoke cessation, are critical steps in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.
New guidelines focus on preventing first strokes through healthy living