Long Beach Memorial was recognized today with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll.

The award recognizes Long Beach Memorial’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment adhering to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines derived from the latest scientific evidence, according to the release.

“A stroke patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute stroke treatment is delayed,” stated Angie West, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, SCRN, ANVP, director, stroke program, Long Beach Memorial. “This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely.”

Hospitals must achieve at least 85 percent adherence to all Get With The Guidelines – Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive years and at least 75 percent compliance with five of the eight Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Quality measures to receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll, hospitals must meet quality measures created to reduce the time between when the patient arrives at the hospital and is treated 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, according to the release.

These measures are designed to help hospital teams follow the most up-to-date guidelines to speed up recovery and reduce death and disability for stroke patients. As a Primary Stroke Center, Long Beach Memorial has also met specific scientific guidelines for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

“Long Beach Memorial continues to strive for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients,” stated West. “The recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke further reinforces our team’s hard work.”

Get With The Guidelines – Stroke puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work, helping hospital care teams nationwide ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest research. Since 2003, Get With The Guidelines – Stroke has impacted more than three million patients, according to the release.

For more information about Long Beach Memorial’s stroke care, click here.

Image courtesy of American Stroke Association.