Riverside, CA – Riverside Community Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll quality achievement award for its 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.
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.
“At Riverside Community Hospital, we are deeply committed to delivering the highest standard of care for our patients,” said Peter Hemstead, chief executive officer. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines helps our teams apply the latest research-based protocols in real time, which can make a life-changing difference for stroke patients. Our goal is to give every patient the best possible chance at recovery and a longer, healthier life.”
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 proud to be a leader in the region for stroke care,” said Charles Stout, MD, PhD, medical stroke director at Riverside Community Hospital. “We work incredibly hard as a team to be give our patients the best outcomes and voluntarily have achieved Comprehensive Stroke Center status for the past seven years. Being a Comprehensive Stroke Center means Riverside Community Hospital is equipped to treat the most complex stroke cases with optimal outcomes”
Riverside Community Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy— or the administration of medications designed to break down blood clots.
Riverside Community Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims 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.
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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit Heart.org.