Pictured is the RGRH Stroke Team, Administrators & Dr. H. Saei, Vascular Neurologist and Stroke Program Medical Director

American Heart Association Award recognizes Rio Grande Regional Hospital commitment to quality stroke care

HCA affiliated Rio Grande Regional Hospital; the only nationally recognized Top 100 Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver 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.

Rio Grande Regional Hospital 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, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“Rio Grande Regional Hospital 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 Kathy Dassler, 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.”

Rio Grande Regional Hospital additionally 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.

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 Rio Grande Regional Hospital

Founded in 1982, Rio Grande Regional Hospital is a 320-bed, full service acute care medical facility and the only nationally recognized Top 100 Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley.  With more than 500 physicians representing over 35 specialties, Rio Grande Regional Hospital along with the Children’s Medical Center at Rio Grande Regional Hospital offer an array of comprehensive services including: Full Surgical and Diagnostic Capabilities; Intensive Care for Adults and Pediatric; Cardiac Care; Chest Pain Center Accreditation; Surgical Services; Minimally Invasive Surgery and Robotics; Comprehensive Accredited Center in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program; Rio Grande Surgery Center; Radiology; Women’s Services; Neonatal Care; Four Off-Site Women’s Clinics; Diabetes Management Center; Three Off-Site Satellite Laboratories; Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy; Advanced Level III Trauma Services; Two Off-Site Emergency Departments, and a Helicopter Landing Area to help expedite emergency care.  For more information, visit our website at Rio Health.

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 American Heart Association.