American Heart Association Award recognizes Encino Hospital Medical Center’s commitment to quality stroke care
Encino, California (July 28, 2020) ― Encino Hospital Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold 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.
Encino Hospital Medical Center 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
“Encino Hospital 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 EM V. Garcia, Administrator, and 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.”
Encino Hospital Medical Center 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.
Encino Hospital Medical Center has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center or as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“We are pleased to recognize Encino Hospital Medical Center 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 Encino Hospital Medical Center
Not-for-Profit Encino Hospital Medical Center, part of the Prime Healthcare Services Foundation, is a 150-bed state-of-the-art hospital located in Encino, California. Its multi-disciplinary staff consists of 330 physicians and 520 professional support staff.
Encino Hospital Medical Center serves a diverse population and incorporates elements of urban and suburban medicine in a smaller caring environment. It offers a wide array of inpatient and outpatient services. The hospital is consistently at the forefront in providing innovative and integrated healthcare. In 2007, the hospital was purchased by Prime Healthcare Services. This thirteen hospital system was recently named as one of the top 10 healthcare systems in the United States. For more information, visit: www.encinomed.org
About Prime Healthcare
Founded in 2001, Prime Healthcare has emerged as one of the nation’s leading hospital systems. Prime Healthcare was founded by Dr. Prem Reddy, a physician with a mission to save hospitals, improve community healthcare and provide the very best care to patients.
Our philosophy is that all healthcare is local. Each of our hospitals serves the unique needs of their communities while providing exceptional care with the strength and support of Prime Healthcare. Through a physician-directed and patient-centered model, passionate dedication to quality, evidence-based best practices, operational efficiency, technology, and capital investment, our hospitals are recognized among the best in the nation. Prime Healthcare was recognized by Truven Health Analytics as a Top 10 and 15 Health System in the nation three times.