October 19, 2021
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Stroke is the fifth cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
"Saint Peter’s is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Maria Bartman, BSN, RN, CEN, stroke coordinator at Saint Peter’s and chair of Saint Peter’s Stroke Committee. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke supports our teams in putting proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
Each year program participants apply for this recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation upon returning home from the hospital.
“We are pleased to recognize Saint Peter’s for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of Neurology and director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
Saint Peter’s also received the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.
“We are very proud to receive the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Award this year,” said Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter’s. “Every second counts when you’re treating a patient for stroke—it can be a race against the clock. This additional recognition shows how our staff has prioritized and streamlined care for our stroke patients, ensuring the best possible outcomes.”
Earlier this year, Saint Peter’s achieved certification as a primary stroke center by The Joint Commission, demonstrating that the hospital has consistently met quality metrics and provided some of the best evidence-based care for its stroke patients. A primary stroke center is the first line of defense in diagnosing and treating stroke and preventing or minimizing permanent brain damage to the patient. Saint Peter’s was also the first hospital in New Jersey to be recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and this certification by The Joint Commission further emphasizes Saint Peter’s commitment to older adults.
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is a state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital offers a midwifery service and the brand-new state-of-the-art Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.
