Jefferson Health's NJ hospitals receive recognition for stroke treatment

Jefferson Health’s three New Jersey hospitals located in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township have each received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award.
The award recognizes the hospitals’ commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Hospitals earn the awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“Our three New Jersey hospitals are dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Jefferson (NJ) Stroke Program Director Kathryn Donley. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidence-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes,” Donley said.
In addition, Jefferson Washington Township Hospital a New Jersey state-designated Comprehensive Stroke Center received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award, while Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital and Jefferson Stratford Hospital each received the Target:Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award.
To qualify, 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.
“We are pleased to recognize Jefferson Health’s three New Jersey hospitals for their commitment to stroke care,” said Dr. Lee Schwamm, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of neurology, director of acute stroke services, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “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,” Schwamm said.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. 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.

CREDIT: Anthony Vecchione