Tulane Medical earns get with the guidelines - Stroke gold plus quality award

Tulane Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for the sixth consecutive year. The award recognizes the hospital's commitment to implementing quality improvement measures that ensure stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals in providing the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

Tulane Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. 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 should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“Congratulations to our emergency room and stroke teams for these significant achievements that demonstrate Tulane Medical Center's dedication to maintaining exceptional quality stroke care, even during a pandemic,” said Olivia Fleming, vice president of neuroscience services at Tulane Health System. “I'm proud to work with team members who are dedicated to setting standards for excellence and making the care and safety of our patients a top priority.”

Tulane Medical Center also earned 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.

Additionally, Tulane Medical Center 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% 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 cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the American Heart Association's Quality Oversight Committee. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the American Heart Association's quality improvement programs 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 the Tulane Neuroscience Center website.