At a Stroke Survivor event, Dana Doloff, who received a clot busting medication within 14 minutes of arriving at PRH’s ER, and his wife Sally thank his caregivers Rebecca Cain, RN; Cristina Barbaresi, RN; and Danielle Caughey, RN.
Portsmouth Regional Hospital (PRH) has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. This year, Portsmouth Regional Hospital received these achievement awards:
- Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award
- Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll
- Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
The American Stroke Association recommends a door-to-needle target of fewer than 60 minutes for treatment with a thrombolytic, a medication that is used to treat ischemic stroke by breaking up blood clots. Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s average door-to-needle time is 33 minutes, and the team successfully treated two recent stroke patients within 14 minutes each, leading to successful outcomes with no neurological deficits.
“As the only Comprehensive Stroke Center on the Seacoast, Portsmouth Regional Hospital is committed to using timely intervention and best practices in caring for patients suffering from a stroke, and we clearly demonstrate this every day,” said Brian Sanders, MD, chief medical officer of Portsmouth Regional Hospital. “Two recent patients – both treated within a seven-day period – who each were given a thrombolytic within 14 minutes, are living examples of how important timely response to a stroke is. The Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in our communities experience longer, healthier lives.”
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, Portsmouth Regional Hospital qualified for the award by demonstrating how it is committed to improving quality care.
“We are pleased to recognize Portsmouth Regional Hospital for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”