07/01/2011

WDH Receives Gold Plus Award for Stroke Care

WDH received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award in recognition of the Hospital’s success in implementing the highest level of care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. After initiating a hospital-wide stroke care improvement initiative in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, WDH received a Bronze Award followed last year by a Silver Plus Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. 

With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award demonstrates WDH’s commitment for providing aggressive, proven stroke care. 

WDH Stroke Coordinator Cindy Spencer, RN, said it takes a dedicated team consistently focused on improving stroke care and saving patient lives to earn this award. “Thank you for your role in this achievement,” she said. “Everyone owns a piece of the stroke program’s success.” 

WDH Stroke Team Chairperson Paul Cass, DO, added his congratulations to all stroke caregivers. “You should be very proud of the work you have accomplished for our patients,” Dr. Cass said. 

To receive the award WDH achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for 24 consecutive months and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with five of nine Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.

“Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is to be commended for its commitment to implementing standards of care and protocols for treating stroke patients,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, chair of the Get with the Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”

Nurse Director of Emergency Services Ann Lak, RN, extended her thanks to the team leadership. “Congratulations to our stroke coordinators, Cindy Spencer, RN, and Nicole Connors, RN, for their gold plus leadership,” Lak said. “It is good to see that this standard of care is sustained and the success recognized.”