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For following appropriate stroke care guidelines, Northern Dutchess recently received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
“The faster stroke victims are treated, the less damage to their body and brain,” said Dr. W. Andrew Wilson, medical director of the hospital’s emergency department. “By following the stroke association’s guidelines, we can speed recovery, and reduce death and disability for our patients.”
Appropriate care includes aggressive use of clot-busting and anti-clotting drugs, blood thinners and cholesterol-reducing drugs, preventive action for deep vein thrombosis and counseling on quitting smoking. The Gold Plus award is the highest level of achievement and is based on how long Northern Dutchess met the guidelines goals, which was for at least two consecutive years.
According to the 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. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Meanwhile, the Get With The Guidelines stroke program has impacted more than 3 million patients since 2003.
For information, including a “Signs of a Stroke” guide, visit HealthQuest's website.
