American Heart Association presents multiple Achievement Awards for implementation of quality care for patients

Worcester, MA – Saint Vincent Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific research.

Saint Vincent Hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. With the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients, these evidence-based measures include the proper use of medications, stroke treatments and transition planning to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

“The American Heart Association’s tools and resources help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines designed to achieve positive patient outcomes,” said Carolyn Jackson, chief executive officer of Saint Vincent Hospital. “The Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative is one of many ways we demonstrate our commitment to providing quality care for our stroke patients.”

Saint Vincent Hospital also received the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, the hospital achieved quality measures developed to reduce the time between a patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Additionally, Saint Vincent Hospital received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, the hospital achieved quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

“We are pleased to recognize Saint Vincent Hospital for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s 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 American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”