Tulane Medical Center receives aha stroke gold plus quality award

Tulane Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines(R)-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for the fifth consecutive year. The award recognizes the 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.

Tulane Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines - with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

"Tulane Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative," said Ruth Kain, chief nursing officer of Tulane Health System. "The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.

"We are pleased to see our hard work pay off - not just with this recognition, but more importantly, with improved outcomes for our patients."

Tulane Medical Center additionally received the Association's Target: StrokeSM Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Tulane Medical Center also received the Association's Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the "Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score."

Tulane Medical Center has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

"We are pleased to recognize Tulane Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care," said Dr. Lee Schwamm, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee. "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."

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.

To learn more about the Tulane Neuroscience Center and its services, please call 504.988.5561 or visit Tulane Healthcare.