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Photo (Left to Right): Rita Willis, RN, Director of Emergency Services; Dr. Richard Giroux, Chief of Emergency Medicine;
Monica Ible, RN, Manager Emergency Services; Mary-Anne Davis, RN, Charge Nurse
 
American Heart Association Award recognizes Palms West Hospital’s commitment to quality stroke care
 
August 7, 2020 – Palms West Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus and the Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award. The awards recognize 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.
 
Palms West Hospital earned the awards 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; get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
 
“We are 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 Sheila Sanders, Chief Nursing Officer.  “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
 
Palms West Hospital has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“We are pleased to recognize Palms West Hospital 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.”
 
 
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.
 
 
About Palms West Hospital
Palms West Hospital is a 204-bed acute care full service facility combining high quality, patient-driven care and state-of-the-art technology to serve residents of Palm Beach County and beyond. The hospital employs over 1,200 employees, has a medical staff of 655 active physicians and a Graduate Medical Education Program. We offer a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services including: 24/7 Emergency care, stroke center designation, comprehensive surgical services, cardiac catheterization, an orthopedics and spine institute, and maternity services with a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (level II NICU). 
 
 
Palms West Hospital is a recipient of numerous awards, recognitions and accreditations from a number of organizations, among them, The Joint Commission. Our more recent recognitions include Healthgrades’ 2020 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award, 2019 Gallbladder Surgery Five-Star Recipient, Healthgrades’ 2019 General Surgery Excellence Award, Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award, Press Ganey’s 2019 Guardian of Excellence Award, Children’s Oncology Group (COG) accreditation in 2019 and Blue Shield’s Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery.
 
 
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 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org