St. Joseph’s Health Hospital is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care
August 9, 2024St. Joseph’s Health Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Stroke is the fifth cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. 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 key 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.
“St. Joseph’s Health Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Meredith A. Price, CPA, FHFMA, Senior Vice President, Acute Operations at St. Joseph’s Health. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Syracuse can experience longer, healthier lives.”
“Our team is dedicated to enhancing and maintaining the highest quality of care while rigorously following the latest treatment guidelines,” said Dr. Fahed Saada, Stroke Program Director and Section Chief of Neurology at St. Joseph's Health. “We are committed to providing evidence-based care to every patient, every time. The Get With The Guidelines program has been crucial in helping us achieve this goal.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the 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 also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize St. Joseph’s Health 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.”
In addition, St. Joseph’s Health Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award by meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.
St. Joseph’s Health Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
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About St. Joseph’s Health
St. Joseph’s Health, a non-profit health care system in Syracuse, New York, has been a trailblazer in the field since 1869 when it became the city’s first public hospital. Its commitment to exceptional care is evident in a network of acute, ambulatory, primary and specialty care services and partner care facilities providing a range of services to promote long-term health in the communities we serve. St. Joseph’s has been ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, is a designated Primary Stroke Center, and is consistently named a Best Regional Hospital and #1 in the Syracuse Metro area by US News and World Report. St. Joseph’s Health is dedicated to excellence, innovation and compassionate patient care. From pioneering ambulance services in Syracuse to being the first in Central New York to use DaVinci robotic surgery technology in an outpatient facility, St. Joseph’s legacy of firsts demonstrates its ongoing commitment to leading medical advancements. Affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians and a member of Trinity Health, St. Joseph’s Health is your trusted partner in health, combining a rich history with a forward-thinking approach to ensure the health and well-being of our communities.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 121,000 colleagues and nearly 36,500 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 27 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 101 hospitals, 126 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue in FY2023 was $21.6 billion with $1.5 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.
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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.