Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award
American Heart Association Award recognizes UNC Lenoir Health Care's commitment to quality stroke care
Kinston, NC, May 2018 ― UNC Lenoir Health Care has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
UNC Lenoir Health Care earned the award 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.
“UNC Lenoir Health Care is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Barbara LaRoque, public information officer. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
“We are pleased to recognize UNC Lenoir Health Care for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
About UNC Lenoir Health Care
UNC Lenoir Health Care licensed for 261 beds, is a not-for-profit hospital dedicated to the community it serves by offering quality inpatient, outpatient and preventive healthcare services that are close to home. In addition to general medical, surgical, and obstetrical and gynecological care, Lenoir Memorial offers specialized services including cardiology, pulmonology, oncology, radiology and urology. With a medical staff of over 100 physicians, Lenoir Memorial offers a range of specialty services and technology one would only expect to find at hospitals in larger cities. Learn more at unclenoir.org
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 tools and resources to increase adherence to 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 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
