When it comes to life-saving stroke care, Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton is leading the country.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has presented the hospital with a 2020 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.
The award recognizes Tanner’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,
stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a 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 earn the award,
Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton had to meet specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. Those measures included evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.
Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program, providing hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to 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.
“We’re dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Deborah Matthews, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Tanner. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
Tanner has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“We are pleased to recognize Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton 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 at Massachusetts General Hospital in 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.”
More information on Tanner’s award-winning level of stroke care can be found at
tanner.org/stroke.