When a patient arrives at our Emergency Department after experiencing a stroke, every second counts. For every minute they remain untreated, their brain loses approximately two million neurons, making it absolutely critical for them to receive rapid, life-saving care. This past October, Pennsylvania Hospital’s interdisciplinary stroke team received several accolades from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in recognition of their vigilance and commitment to using the most up-to-date guidelines to prevent death, reduce disability, and improve the quality of life for our patients following a stroke.
PAH earned the Get with the Guidelines® Gold Plus Award for stroke care and secured “Elite” status on the Target: Stroke Honor Roll. To qualify for this advanced recognition, we were required to reduce door-to-needle times for patients being treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and to maintain at least 85 percent compliance for at least two years in each of the achievement measures. We were recognized on the new Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll as well, which distinguishes programs that ensure patients with type 2 diabetes receive evidence-based care when hospitalized with stroke. These awards are only possible because of the outstanding collaborative efforts of our emergency medicine, neurology, cardiology, nursing, physical therapy, social work, diabetic management, and home health teams, all of which ensure that each patient receives personalized care at every stage of their treatment and recovery.
This is only one of the awards that our exceptional PAH team received in 2020. Some of our other achievements include earning another Get with the Guidelines® Gold Plus Award for heart failure, netting an “A” rating from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, and being recognized on Healthgrades’ list of America’s 100 Best Hospitals. I am enormously proud that PAH continues to lead in so many areas. While the New Year still demands our focus, fortitude, and flexibility, I am confident that all of us at Pennsylvania Hospital will continue putting forth award-winning efforts to keep our community healthy and safe.