TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Through its daily mission of elevating healthcare in Tampa Bay, Florida Hospital Tampa has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations (AHA/ASA) evidenced-based Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients.
With a stroke, time is the most critical factor in preventing permanent brain damage, and the Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award demonstrates our long-term commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care, said John Harding, president and chief executive officer of Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division. We will continue with our focus on providing quality care, which includes incorporating evidence-based protocols to quickly, efficiently and safely treat stroke patients.
According to the AHA/ASA, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new stroke each year. In addition, stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer every year, and it affects more women than men with 425,000 women suffering from strokes annually.
To receive the Stroke Gold Plus distinction, Florida Hospital Tampa achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The GuidelinesStroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals. In addition, Florida Hospital Tampa achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with at least six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.
The measures include aggressive use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
Florida Hospital Tampa is now considered one of the top stroke treatment hospitals in Tampa Bay," said Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The hospital is to be commended for its strong commitment to implementing standards of care and protocols for treating stroke patients. The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.
Get With The GuidelinesStroke uses the teachable moment, the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when he/she is most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals guidance. Studies demonstrate that 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.
We are big believers in educating our stroke patients and their family members about managing their risks because first-time stroke patients are at high risk for a second and third stroke, said Kathleen Miller, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer for Florida Hospital Tampa.
We are very proud of the way we care for our stroke patients and its nice to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
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Florida Hospital Tampa Turns Guidelines into Lifelines and Earns “Stroke Gold Plus” Quality Achievement Award