Dr. Robert Ward III has, in essence, made the cover of U.S. News & World Report, so you can forgive the huge smile radiating from his face. Dr. Ward is the Medical Director of the Lakeland Stroke Center, and while neither his name nor his picture appear on the cover of the magazine, his team at Lakeland Health is recognized as being among the Best Hospitals alluded to in the bold cover story of the special edition.
Lakeland Health recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines– Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target Stroke Honor Roll as featured in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals edition. The award recognizes a hospital’s commitment to ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized research-based guidelines.
To receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, hospitals must achieve 85-percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines – Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieved 75-percent or higher compliance with five of eight quality measures. To qualify for the Target Stroke Honor Roll, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA.
These quality measures are designed to help hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.
Chris Fox, Director of Patient Care Services for Lakeland Health says, “I am very proud of the work that our team has accomplished – from the ER to critical care and our stroke units, all team members have helped provide exemplary care to our stroke patients in order to assist us in achieving this goal.”
Dr. Paul Heidenreich is National Chair of the Get With the Guidelines Steering Committee and also Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. He tell us, “The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association is pleased to recognize Lakeland Health for its commitment to stroke care.” He adds, “Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program.”
For patients, Get With The Guidelines – Stroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they learn how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital and recognize the F.A.S.T. warning signs of a stroke:
- Face – Does the face look uneven? Ask the person to smile.
- Arm – Does one arm drift down? Ask the person to raise both arms.
- Speech – Does it sound strange? Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase, such as “the sky is blue.”
- Time – if you observe any of these signs, then don’t wait to call 9-1-1.
To learn more about stroke signs and symptoms, click this link: www.lakelandhealth.org/stroke
