Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital have received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for their 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.
This year, Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital received the Gold Plus Award and were named to the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. 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.
Falmouth Hospital also received the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, meaning the time to IV thrombolytic therapy was within 60 minutes in 50% or more of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV-tPA.
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.
“Cape Cod Healthcare is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and is proud to be nationally recognized for our ongoing commitment to delivering quality and safe care to our community,” says Michael Lauf, President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare. “Continuous improvement in stroke diagnosis and treatment are among the many ways we demonstrate our commitment to providing exceptional patient care. The end goal is to ensure more people on Cape Cod can experience longer, healthier lives.”
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 incredibly pleased to recognize Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
To learn more about stroke prevention and awareness, visit https://www.capecodhealth.org/medicalservices/stroke-awareness/ ### About Cape Cod Healthcare Cape Cod Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare services for residents and visitors of Cape Co