In 2012, Saint Mary’s Hospital celebrated its first Gold Award for outstanding care of stroke patients from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association under its national Get With The Guidelines quality improvement program.

Hospitals that receive the Gold Award must demonstrate at least 85 percent compliance in each of seven Achievement Measures over a period of 12 months. The chain of care for a stroke patient begins with EMTs who alert the Emergency Department that a stroke patient is being transported to the hospital, and extends to Saint Mary’s physicians, who are aware of stroke symptoms and respond promptly, the nursing and rehabilitation staff who provide patient care, and the stroke program coordinators. In particular, the Stroke Team looks at DVT prophylaxis, use of antithrombotic medications, use of the clotbusting drug tPA, and cholesterol treatment and education of patients.

A four-year study of 790 hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines—Stroke showed a 29 percent increase in the percentage of eligible patients who received clot-dissolving drugs within two hours of arrival, the American Heart Association notes on its website.

Stroke was previously ranked as the third highest cause of mortality in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer, but the CDC recently pushed it to 4 th.  At Saint Mary’s, the rate of readmissions among stroke patients has fallen to 5.2 percent, far below the national average of 10 percent. The rate at hospitals without a stroke program is 19 percent.

Saint Mary’s Re-Certified as a Primary Stroke Center

In 2011, Saint Mary’s Hospital was re-certified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health as a Primary Stroke Center. This designation indicates that Saint Mary’s Hospital has met the state’s criteria for providing quality stroke care in accordance with guidelines established by the American Stroke Association and the Brain Attack Coalition to ensure rapid diagnostic evaluation and treatment of stroke patients.

Chad Wable, President and Chief Executive Officer, displays Saint Mary’s Silver Award for stroke care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with Valerie Fisher of the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program and Dr. Peter Greco, neurologist.

Saint Mary’s Hospital first received designation as a Primary Stroke Center in 2009. It is now one of about 20 hospitals in Connecticut that support the state’s initiative of providing quality care for stroke patients.

Through its stroke program, Saint Mary’s has taken the lead on community education, helping to raise greater awareness about the risk factors and warning signs of stroke, as well as preventive measures. In addition to offering community education opportunities, Saint Mary’s Stroke Team sponsors stroke screenings and hosts other events in collaboration with community organizations.

The Stroke Response Team, which responds to Stroke Alerts in 4.06 minutes on average, is part of a larger, multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, physical, speech and occupational therapists, CT technologists, transportation aides, discharge planners, EMTs and others who provide a chain of care for stroke patients.