Five Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) hospitals have received achievement awards from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
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 evidence- and research-based guidelines. As participants in Get With The Guidelines programs, LVHN hospitals qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
“LVHN is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for stroke,” Steven Lewis, MD, Endowed Chair, Neurology, said. “Get With The Guidelines allows our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in eastern Pennsylvania experience longer, healthier lives.”