Sequoia Hospital Receives Stroke Silver Award
Sequoia Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Sequoia Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every three minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award demonstrates that our staff is committed to providing care that has been shown in the scientific literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols,” said Glenna Vaskelis, hospital president and CEO.
“The success of the stroke program is due to the dedication of Sequoia physicians spanning multiple specialties, as well as a multitude of support staff,” said Mark Saleh, MD, Medical Director of Stroke Services at Sequoia Hospital. “Linda Cadelago, RN, FNP, Sequoia Hospital’s Stroke Services Coordinator, should especially be commended for her oversight and commitment to patient care.”
To receive the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award, Sequoia achieved at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines Stroke Performance Achievement indicators and achieved at least 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines Stroke Quality Measures during that same period of time, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care.
These measures include appropriate use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
“We’re so proud to be recipients of the silver award. Last year we received the bronze award and winning the silver shows our commitment and dedication to high quality stroke care,” said Linda Cadelago, RN, FNP, Sequoia Hospital’s Stroke Services Coordinator.
Cadelago has produced customized patient education materials that are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format. For Spanish speaking patients, Cadelago also gives stroke warning sign cards in Spanish and will be having cards made in other languages as well.
Get With The Guidelines Stroke and Sequoia Hospital use the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.
About Get With The Guidelines
For more information on Get With The Guidelines, visit www.americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines .
About Sequoia Hospital
Sequoia Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital providing innovative and exceptional healthcare to Bay Area residents. With a nationwide reputation for pioneering advanced cardiac care, Sequoia is designated as a 2009 Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. Sequoia also excels in the areas of stroke care, emergency services, and birth center services. Voted “A Family Favorite 2009 Best Hospital” by readers of Bay Area Parent magazine, Sequoia ranks in the top percentile of U.S. hospitals for patient satisfaction and is a leader in quality and safety initiatives. To learn more, please visit: www.SequoiaHospital.org
