Tulane Medical Center again earns 2019 highest stroke quality achievement award

New Orleans - Tulane Medical Center has received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus from the American Heart Association for a fourth consecutive year. The award - which is the highest possible level of recognition given by the AHA for quality stroke care - recognizes the hospital's commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

The award recognizes hospitals that continue improving acute ischemic stroke care by reducing door-to-needle times for eligible patients being treated with the clot-busting drug tPA. Facilities must prove they can have an expert available to see the patient within 10 minutes and interpret bloodwork, EKGs and brain imaging all within 45 minutes, with a goal of administering IV tPA in less than 60 minutes (if applicable). Tulane has policies and protocols in place to achieve these goals, as well as extensive education with hospital staff and EMS providers regarding identification and treatment of strokes.

"There are nearly 7 million stroke survivors in the U.S., which is a testament to advancement in treatment options for patients and best practices and guidelines like those initiated by the American Heart Association," said Tulane stroke specialist Dr. Justin Salerian. "We strive for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients and want the number of survivors to continue growing. This recognition further reinforces our team's hard work."

Tulane's stroke program was the first in New Orleans to be certified by the Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, representing its ability to care for the most complex stroke cases. The Tulane Neuroscience Center provides a full range of adult and pediatric services - from stroke care to neurosurgery, neurology and neuroimaging - for local patients as well as those transferred to Tulane because of highly complex or advanced cases.

"We are pleased to recognize Tulane Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care," said Dr. Eric Smith, national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. "Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates."

Lakeview Hospital , a campus of Tulane Medical Center, also received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines(R)-Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes a hospital's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.