CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, obtaining a follow-up visit and other care transition interventions.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke 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. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
“CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Brett Kinman, Interim Administrator. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta additionally received the Association’s Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, according to Heather Biddy BSN, RN, VA-BC, RN Program Manager – Trauma/Stroke/Chest Pain. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90-percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”
CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center or as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“We are pleased to recognize CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, 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.”
# # #
CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta, located along U.S. Highway 77 and South William Street in Atlanta, Texas, provides general and medical care for inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department patients. The 43-bed hospital is accredited with The Joint Commission (TJC) Gold Seal of Approval™ – demonstrating compliance with TJC standards for health care quality and safety. In addition, CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta is designated a Support Stroke Level III Facility, offering teleneurology and tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) for treatment of strokes. Along with inpatient care, the hospital provides emergency services staffed by physicians and specially trained registered nurses – several of whom have earned advanced certifications in strokes, emergency, and trauma care. The hospital operates as a Level IV Trauma Center, holds Chest Pain Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and offers pediatric emergency telemedicine.
Other services include: in-hospital pharmacy, radiology/imaging for inpatient and outpatient care, CAP-accredited clinical laboratory, outpatient rehabilitation, wound care, sleep disorders center, outpatient cardiac-pulmonary rehabilitation, comprehensive diabetes education, and a health and fitness center.
