(April 15, 2010; Henderson, Nev.). St. Rose Dominican Hospitals – Siena Campus was awarded the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s “Get with the Guidelines®–Stroke” Registry program participating award Wednesday, April 14. The goal of implementing a stroke program is to improve the overall quality of care for stroke patients by improving acute stroke treatment and preventing future strokes and cardiovascular events.
Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke was developed to help hospitals employ proven science-based treatment guidelines, including those developed by the American Stroke Association, American Heart Association and Brain Attack Coalition. These guidelines address acute stroke management, primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, secondary prevention of strokes and the establishment of primary stroke centers.
“It’s about getting the right patient to the right place at the right time with the right resources, said Kim Dokken, RN, Siena Campus Trauma, Emergency Management & Stroke Program director. “Knowing how to identify the symptoms of stroke, treating the patient correctly and within a specific time period, allows for a more successful recovery.”
As a Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke participating hospital, the Siena Campus is developing a comprehensive system for providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke when patients are admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain-imaging scans, making neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.
“St. Rose Dominican Hospitals continually strives to be at the forefront of patient care, said Rod Davis, president/CEO of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. “By participating in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke program, we are able to bring the best in stroke care to our community.”
Siena is also increasing its efforts to prevent secondary strokes through the aggressive use of medications such as statins and anti-platelets as indicated in the secondary stroke prevention guidelines. Other methods include the treatment of atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis and the management of smoking cessation, weight, exercise, diabetes and cholesterol.
The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population. According to the American Stroke Association, approximately 795,000 people suffer strokes each year – 610,000 are first attacks and 185,000 are recurrent. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers from a stroke. This deadly condition accounts for one out of every 18 deaths in the United States.
