8-21-2024 9:58pm

Warren County's Atrium Medical Receives Award the American Heart Association

Beth Callahan Editor

MIDDLETOWN, OH -- Several Premier Health hospitals have received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Quality Achievement Awards for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

Miami Valley Hospital and Miami Valley Hospital South received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Atrium Medical Center and Upper Valley Medical Center received the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award.

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 research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“Premier Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Jason Merritt, vice president – Premier Physician Network and system operations for neurosciences and psychiatry. “These recognitions are a testament to our unwavering commitment that every patient receives the highest standard of care, guided by the latest evidence-based practices. We are proud to advance our vision of inspiring better health in the communities we serve, helping more individuals lead longer, healthier lives.”

Additionally, Miami Valley Hospital received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll. To qualify for stroke honor roll recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

Atrium Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital and Upper Valley Medical Center also received the Target: Type 2 DiabetesSM Honor Roll recognition for providing this critical high-risk population the most up-to-date, evidence-based care for diabetics when hospitalized with cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize these Premier Health hospitals for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”