News Release
The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke GOLD PLUS award for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and lifesaving care
OXNARD, Calif. – Dignity Health St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo (SJHC) are proud recipients of the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke GOLD PLUS quality achievement award by the American Heart Association for for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“St. John’s Hospitals are committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” says Mani Nezhad, MD, Medical Director of Neurosciences and Stroke Program at SJRMC and SJHC. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Ventura County can experience longer, healthier lives.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts 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 research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize St. John’s Hospitals for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
SJRMC and SJHC also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.
Both hospitals also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke
To learn more about the St. John’s Stroke Program visit DignityHealth.org/StJohnsNeuroCare.
About Dignity Health St. John’s Regional Medical Center
And St. John’s Hospital Camarillo
Dignity Health-St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo in Camarillo comprise the largest non-profit acute care provider in Ventura County. Founded more than 110 years ago, St. John’s Hospitals are nationally recognized for quality care, safety and service. Both hospitals are supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to support new programs and services, as well as to advance the community’s access to health care. Learn more at DignityHealth.org/StJohnsRegional or DignityHealth.org/StJohnsHospitalCamarillo.
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 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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
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