Fourteen Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Fontana, and Ontario medical centers, have received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award. This award highlights a commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines leading to reduced disability and lives saved.
Stroke is the fifth cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of disability. 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.
“Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest stroke treatment guidelines,” said Dr. Ramin Davidoff, executive medical director for the Southern California and Hawaii Permanente Medical Groups. “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 our communities can experience longer, healthier lives.”
Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals receiving American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award include Anaheim, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Los Angeles, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Panorama, Riverside, San Diego, South Bay, West L.A., Woodland Hills, and Zion medical centers.
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’re incredibly pleased to recognize Kaiser Permanente for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Dr. Steven Messe, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “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.”