RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon Medical Center has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based stroke care.
The award recognizes hospitals that consistently follow the latest research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients, helping improve survival rates and reduce long-term disability.
Stroke is the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability. It occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel ruptures, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to improving patient outcomes.
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program helps hospitals nationwide align patient care with the latest evidence-based standards through performance tracking, quality improvement and patient education.
“Hunterdon Medical Center 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 Brittany Trstensky, MSN, RN, CCRN, ASC-BC, Stroke Program Coordinator at Hunterdon Medical Center. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”
The Gold Plus award is presented annually to hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to providing high-quality stroke care by consistently following evidence-based treatment guidelines and educating patients about managing their health and recovery after discharge.
Hunterdon Medical Center also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award, which recognizes hospitals that meet specific criteria for reducing the time between an eligible patient’s arrival and the administration of evidence-based stroke treatment.
“All staff members at Hunterdon Medical Center are committed to providing excellent care. Their dedication to learning, improving and implementing best practices is what makes our program so successful,” stated Brittany Trstensky.
In addition, Hunterdon Medical Center was recognized on the American Heart Association’s Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll for providing quality care to stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes.
