Gold Stroke Award
For the second year in a row Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital (BID-Needham) has received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Gold Performance Achievement Award.
Date: 8/18/2009
BIDMC Contact: Rose Lewis
Phone: 782-453-3891
Email: Rlewis2@bidneedham.org
For the second year in a row Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital (BID-Needham) has received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by making sure stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
The hospital has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations, and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.
To receive the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, BID-Needham demonstrated 85% adherence to GWTG–Stroke key measures for 24 or more consecutive months. Examples of some measures include use of medications such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, and cholesterol-reducing drugs. Others include social service consults, rehabilitation evaluations, and the creation of educational materials.
“Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham is always working to improve patient care,” said Penny Greenberg, RN, executive vice president and chief nursing officer at BID-Needham. “Implementing GWTG-Stroke Patient Care Guidelines allows us to provide the most effective care early on for stroke patients. We are not only prepared for patients now but we are constantly evaluating our stroke program to make sure we are ready for the future. Experts predict the number of ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population.”
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham uses GWTG-Stroke’s “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are 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. Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham customizes patient education materials in both English and Spanish to make sure patients understand their risks.
According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 700,000 people suffer a stroke — 500,000 are first attacks and 200,000 are recurrent. Of stroke survivors, 21 percent of men and 24 percent of women die within a year, and for those aged 65 and older, the percentage is even higher.
About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham (BID-Needham) is a 41-bed acute care community hospital that has served Boston area residents continuously for more than 90 years. This community hospital, previously known as The Glover Hospital, joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in 2002. The hospital provides outpatient and inpatient services, complete diagnostic facilities, a full-service emergency department and all other hospital-based services including cardiology and general surgery. All departments are staffed by BIDMC and BID-Needham physicians
