Westerly Hospital receives Get With The Guidelines – Stroke silver quality achievement award

American Heart Association Award recognizes Westerly Hospital’s commitment to quality stroke care

WESTERLY, RI (Aug. 11, 2020) ― Westerly Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Silver 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.

Westerly Hospital earned the first time 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.

The award reflects the investments Westerly Hospital has made in attracting high caliber providers and enhancing capabilities at its certified stroke center. As part of Yale New Haven Health, Westerly augments its stroke care through a Telestroke program that provides 24/7 communication with stroke-trained neurologists, so patients can be treated quickly to preserve brain function in the critical early onset of stroke.

“For stroke patients, time is critical and this award recognizes Westerly Hospitals’ commitment to ensuring that our patients receive the best care that adheres to nationally-respected clinical guidelines,” said chief medical officer Oliver Mayorga, MD. “The tools and resources help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

In 2019, Westerly Hospital became certified as an Acute Stroke Ready hospital by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The certification allows smaller and rural hospitals to demonstrate their ability to comply with standards of care for the initial treatment of stroke patients when prompt action and proper medications can save lives and limit the long-term disabling effects of strokes.

“We are pleased to recognize Westerly Hospital for its 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.

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org