Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital has received a stroke care awareness award after the hospital implemented a higher standard of stroke care.
The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award is given to hospitals that ensure stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations, according to a statement from Henry Mayo.
The Santa Clarita Valley's only hospital has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the Emergency Department, it said in a news release.
The program means the hospital will always be equipped to provide brain imaging scans, have neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and use clot-busting medications when appropriate.
The program uses the time soon after a patient has had a stroke when he or she is most likely to listen to and follow doctor's guidance.
Studies show patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.