RUSH Copley Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines - Stroke quality achievement award for the 11th consecutive year. RUSH Copley also was named this year to the Target Stroke Honor Roll.
The Gold Plus award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. Gold Plus is the highest level awarded.
The Target Stroke Honor Roll award signifies that RUSH Copley successfully meets criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with a clot-busting drug.
“We are committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Saju Abraham, MD, RUSH neurologist and medical director of RUSH Copley’s stroke program. “Our goal is to ensure people in our community live longer, healthier lives.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of disability. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. The in-hospital program improves stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
In addition to following recommended treatment guidelines, RUSH Copley educates patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home. RUSH Copley is involved in an innovative program that allows patients to be evaluated for stroke in the ambulance while being rushed to the hospital.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize RUSH Copley for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Stroke System of Care advisory group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
RUSH Copley is also a primary stroke center as certified by The Joint Commission.
