WCH recognized for quality of stroke care
Wooster Community Hospital Health System has received Gold Plus American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
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. Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline put 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 Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs, Wooster Community Hospital qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
“Wooster Community Hospital is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Shelly Huff, WCH chief nursing officer. “The Mission: Lifeline and 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 Wayne County and surrounding areas experience longer, healthier lives.”
Amelia WeIsh, WCH critical care/stroke coordinator, expressed pride in the accomplishments of the stroke program at WCH. She said these accolades would not have been possible without the efforts and commitment of WCH staff.
This year Wooster Community Hospital received these achievement awards:
Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus
—Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite.
—Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
Get With The Guidelines — Rural Stroke Silver
—The Stroke Silver Award is the highest achievable due to the newness of the award.
“These awards show Wooster Community Hospital’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Wooster Community Hospital can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”