Huntington Hospital Receives ‘Get With the Guidelines’ Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) has awarded Huntington Hospital in Pasadena with its “Get With The Guidelines” Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines.

Launched in 2001, “Get With The Guidelines” is the AHA/ASA’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, the program has touched the lives of more than nine million patients.

In a statement, Huntington Hospital said it 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, schedule a follow-up, and other care transition interventions.

“Huntington Hospital 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 Dr. Arbi Ohanian, medical director of Huntington Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Program. “Our dedicated team delivers advanced stroke treatments quickly and safely to our patients – even through these incredibly challenging times.”

Huntington Hospital also received AHA/ASA’s “Target: StrokeS Honor Roll” award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Huntington Hospital additionally was also given the Association’s “Target: Type 2 Honor Roll” award, which recognizes hospitals that meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.

AHA/ASA said Huntington Hospital has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

“We are pleased to recognize Huntington Hospital for their commitment to stroke care,” said Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, national chairperson of the AHA/ASA’s Quality Oversight Committee. “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 AHA/ASA, 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.