The American Heart Association (AHA) has recognized Edward Hospital with Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) quality achievement awards for proven dedication to ensuring stroke and diabetes patients have access to best practices and life-saving care.
This year, Edward Hospital received the following GWTG honors:
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Stroke Gold Plus
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Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
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Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the AHA 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.
Edward received the GWTG Stroke Gold Plus award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
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.
To qualify for the GWTG Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award, Edward met specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tenecteplase. The GWTG Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award recognizes that Edward’s Type 2 diabetes patients, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
Edward Hospital is also certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center from DNV GL Healthcare. For more information about Edward-Elmhurst Health’s stroke and vascular services, visit www.eehealth.org/services/neuro. To determine if a person is at risk for stroke, Edward-Elmhurst offers an online StrokeAware test at www.eehealth.org/health-aware.