The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines-Stroke GoldPlus award for commitment to prioritizing quality care for stroke patients
(West Chester, PA) -- Chester County Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
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. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
"Chester County Hospital is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for our dedication to ensuring high quality care is provided to all patients who have suffered a stroke. Our partnership with the AHA, and commitment to high quality care allows for the best chances of recovery and survival following a stroke," said Melissa Spahr RN, Coordinator at The Chester County Hospital Stroke Program. "Our team has worked diligently this past year to maintain excellence in stroke care."
Christopher Ware, MD, Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director of the Stroke Program, echoed this sentiment.
"This success has been in the face of extreme headwinds, including COVID, ongoing renovations, and maintaining adequate staffing and scheduling. We are proud of the team for their commitment to our patients and working to obtain this prestigious designation."
Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
"We are pleased to recognize Chester County Hospital for their commitment to stroke care," said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. "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."
Additionally, the hospital received the Association’s: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the "Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score."
Chester County Hospital 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.
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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 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit www.heart.org.
About Chester County Hospital
Founded in 1892 as the county’s first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 309-bed acute-care inpatient facility in West Chester. It also has outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, West Grove, Jennersville and Kennett Square. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine, which is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to medical education, biomedical research, and excellent patient care. In addition to quality-driven medical and surgical services, Chester County Hospital also offers home health, inpatient hospice and skilled nursing care; occupational medicine; outpatient laboratory, radiology and physical therapy services; wound care; cardiopulmonary rehab; and a prenatal clinic for the underserved. In 2020, Chester County Hospital completed the largest expansion in its history. The project welcomed a state-of-the-art procedural platform with 15 operating room suites, a 99-bed patient tower, a new main entrance and an expanded and renovated Emergency Department. Learn More! >>