Wuesthoff Medical Center Receives Achievement Awards

Wuesthoff Medical Center Rockledge featured in US News & World Report For "Get With The Guidelines" Performance Achievement Awards

Wuesthoff Medical Center Rockledge will be featured in the July issue of US News & World Report for receiving the American Stroke Association's Get With The GuidelinesSM-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Bronze Performance Achievement Award, and a sustained Gold Performance Achievement award from the American Heart Association for Coronary Artery Disease. Both awards recognize Wuesthoff's commitment and success in implementing higher standards of care to ensure patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

"The Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative addresses the important element of time," said Chantal Leconte, Wuesthoff Medical Center Rockledge administrator. "We have developed a comprehensive system for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This system includes being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, neurologists to conduct patient evaluations and the utilization of clot-busting medications when appropriate."

To receive the GWTG-Stroke Bronze Performance Achievement Award, Wuesthoff consistently followed treatment guidelines in the GWTG-Stroke program for 90 days. These include aggressive use of medications such as TPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. The 90-day evaluation period is the first in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain the performance award.

"The American Stroke Association commends Wuesthoff Rockledge for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols," said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee Member and director of the acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients."

GWTG-Stroke uses 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 stroke. Through GWTG-Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, and based on patients' individual risk profiles.

In addition to Wuesthoff's recent performance awards, the hospital was also featured in US News & World Report in both 2006 and 2007 for the primary prevention of strokes, and the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.