When it comes to treating stroke, every moment is precious. A patient’s chances of survival and recovery are best when they receive care within the first three hours after a stroke, because during that time, they can be given treatments that can greatly reduce their chances of brain damage and permanent disability.

Stroke is the third most common form of death in the U.S. Every year in this country, about 700,000 people suffer a stroke. Of these, 500,000 are first strokes and 20,000 are recurrent strokes.

University Hospital and Medical Center is committed to providing patients with the very best possible stroke care, which is why the American Stroke Association recently recognized UHMC with its “Get With The Guidelines” Bronze Performance Achievement Award.

“I am extremely proud of the efforts made by the entire staff here at UHMC, and their dedication to providing the highest standard of care in the treatment of acute stroke and acute coronary syndrome,” says Dr. Kenneth Greenberg, Medical Director of the hospital’s Emergency Department.

“The community should know that the Joint Commission has recognized and certified that UHMC has exceeded the benchmarks in these areas.”

Consistency counts

The award acknowledges the success of University Hospital and Medical Center in implementing a stroke care program that provides patients with treatment that meets nationally-accepted standards and recommendations.

To earn the award, UHMC did the following:

• Consistently followed the “Get With The Guidelines” stroke program for 90 days
• Used medications including the clot-buster tPA, antithrombotics, DVT prophylaxis and cholesterol-reducing drugs
• Employed strategies such as smoking cessation and anticoagulation therapy
• Reached the required 85% compliance level during the 90-day evaluation period

Learn and live

Education is a key element of “Get With The Guidelines”. Patients are taught how to manage their risk factors during the time right after they have had a stroke – when they are most likely to listen to and follow the directions of healthcare professionals.

UHMC provides informative materials to stroke patients when they are discharged from the hospital, customized to their risk profiles. The information is printed in English and Spanish.

Education is an important part of this program because the risk of a second stroke decreases for patients who receive patient information materials while still in the hospital.

Here to help

Should you need it, you can count on University Hospital and Medical Center’s doctors, nurses and technicians for the best possible emergency care. Check out our Stroke Center for information on types of stroke and warning signs.

If you have questions about stroke, or would like a physician referral, contact Consult-A-Nurse^® at 1-866-4-HCA-DOCS, or visit UHMC online.