Get with the Guidelines Stroke Program recognizes St. Francis’ commitment to quality stroke care
Contact: Dayna Stroik
St. Francis Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke 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.
Stroke is the fifth leading 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.
The Get With The Guidelines - Stroke quality achievement award recognizes a hospital 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.
St. Francis’ recognition included:
- Silver Plus: Achieved by adhering to the highest level of evidence in providing quality care to all stroke patients
- Target: Stroke Honor Roll: Achieved by having fast thrombolytic treatment times for ischemic stroke patients
- Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll: Achieved by adhering to the highest level of evidence in providing quality care to all stroke patients with diabetes
St. Francis earned recognition by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
About St. Francis Regional Medical Center
St. Francis Regional Medical Center is owned by Allina Health, HealthPartners Park Nicollet and Essentia Health. This unique structure combines the care and compassion of a community hospital with the advanced medical technology, specialties and expertise of industry-leading health systems. St. Francis provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency care services on a collaborative medical campus with more than 30 affiliated clinics and 450 providers in the community.
Get with the Guidelines® is the American Heart 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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
Get with the Guidelines® Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines. Numerous published studies demonstrate the program’s success in achieving measurable patient outcome improvements.