Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Earn Get With The Guidelines Stroke Designation from the American Heart Association

Hackensack Meridian Health acute-care medical centers received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for high-quality stroke care. These hospitals have implemented quality improvement measures that ensure patients receive efficient and coordinated care, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer returns to the hospital.

“We are thrilled that the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have recognized all of our acute-care hospitals for world-class stroke care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our exceptional clinical teams are leading the way in providing high-quality stroke care, which will help build healthier communities across the state of New Jersey.”

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of cardiovascular disease – including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical.

The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines programs help reduce barriers to prompt treatment for cardiovascular events. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines, Hackensack Meridian Health has demonstrated a commitment to improving quality care for patients.

To qualify for the elite status, hospitals must follow stringent guidelines to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival and treatment – what’s known as “door-to-needle time” – and includes the rapid administration of clot-busting medication.

Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers received the following American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards:

Northern Region
Hackensack University Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Palisades Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Mountainside Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Pascack Valley Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Central Region
JFK University Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Raritan Bay Medical Center & Old Bridge Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll (This award combines Perth Amboy and Old Bridge campuses)

Bayshore Medical Center – Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Southern Region
Jersey Shore University Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Riverview Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Ocean University Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Southern Ocean Medical Center - Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

“Hackensack Meridian Health continues to strive for excellence and innovation in the acute treatment of stroke patients,” said Garrett. “This recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® further demonstrates our commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients safely and effectively.”

Hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With the Guidelines® – Stroke Quality measures to receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

The quality measures are designed to help hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

“We are pleased to recognize Hackensack Meridian Health for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the American Heart Association’s 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 American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

Get With The Guidelines® puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping hospital care teams ensure the care provided to patients is aligned with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal to save lives and improve recovery time, Get With The Guidelines® has impacted more than three million patients since 2003.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth 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, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.