Good Samaritan Hospital-Dayton Receives American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Bronze Performance Achievement Award

DAYTON, November 19, 2009 -- Good Samaritan Hospital has received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Bronze Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Good Samaritan’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG–Stroke Bronze Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Mark Shaker, president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital.  “Good Samaritan has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.”

To receive the GWTG–Stroke Bronze Performance Achievement Award, Good Samaritan Hospital consistently followed the treatment guidelines in the GWTG–Stroke program for 90 days. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. The 90-day evaluation period is the first in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain this award.

“The American Stroke Association commends Good Samaritan Hospital for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee Member and director of the acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”