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Submitted by PeaceHealth

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center has received the American Heart Association Stroke GOLD PLUS Achievement Award for implementing quality improvement measures that ensure stroke patients receive efficient and coordinated care, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer returns to the hospital.

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of cardiovascular disease—including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical. 

The American Heart Association’s initiatives, Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines®, help reduce barriers to prompt treatment for cardiovascular events. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Centerearned the GOLD PLUS achievement award after reaching an aggressive goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for 4 consecutive calendar years.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center additionally earned a spot on the Get With The Guidelines—Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. These recognitions were earned through meeting rigorous patient care guidelines outlined in the program.

“PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival and recovery after cardiovascular events,” said Chief Medical Officer and Patient Safety Officer Sudhakar Karlapudi, MBBS, MBA, FACP. “Our medical providers and caregivers put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients.”

“We are pleased to recognize PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

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