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Four Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) hospitals have been recognized by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award program for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono were honored by the AHA for their performance in 2020.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. 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. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist health care professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
“We’re honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Steven Lewis, MD, Chief, Division of Neurology for LVHN. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes.”
Stroke care success
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono are all certified Primary Stroke Centers. A Primary Stroke Center is a hospital that has developed special procedures to rapidly diagnose and treat a stroke emergency.
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest has advanced certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. This means we offer the highest standard of care for stroke and it recognizes our expert staff and their advanced training in treating patients with complex strokes.
Program details
Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
“We are pleased to recognize these LVHN hospitals for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. “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.”