LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four UofL Health facilities have received Get With The Guidelines ® – Stroke quality achievement awards through the American Heart Association. These awards recognize the hospitals’ 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.
The distinctions awarded are:
- UofL Health – UofL Hospital: Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll
- UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital: Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
- UofL Health – Jewish Hospital: Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Silver Plus
- UofL Health – Shelbyville Hospital: Get With The Guidelines – Rural Stroke Bronze
This is the first year that Shelbyville Hospital has been awarded a stroke distinction.
To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Elite Plus recognitions, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
The American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award signifies UofL Hospital’s ability 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.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. 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.
“UofL Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Brandi Voigt, MHA, EMT-P, CPPS, system director of stroke care for UofL 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 Kentucky and Indiana can experience longer, healthier lives.”
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 UofL Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “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.”
Stroke Care at UofL Health
When it comes to strokes, time saved is brain saved. It’s crucial to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke, which are marked by the acronym BE FAST:
If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of a stroke, UofL Health – Emergency Care is here for you with seven Emergency Departments open 24/7.
Our stroke experts with UofL Health – Brain & Spine Institute are committed to helping prevent and treat strokes. Several UofL Health hospitals have premier designations and specially-trained staff to care for stroke patients, including:
- UofL Health – UofL Hospital – Comprehensive Stroke Center, which is Kentucky’s first Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center
- UofL Health – Jewish Hospital – Primary Stroke Center
