PINEHURST — For the second consecutive year, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has received the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Achievement Award and the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
Quality achievement awards are given to hospitals that are committed to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, which ultimately leads to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
“Quick treatment improves the likelihood of positive patient outcomes,” said Stroke Coordinator Barb McGrath. “Along with continual innovation and improvement among staff, we also aim to educate the community on how to effectively respond to stroke symptoms. People can use the acronym BE FAST (balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, time) to remember the signs of stroke.”
Each year, program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Moore Regional Hospital also provides education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
MRH has previously been acknowledged by the American Heart Association, earning the Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award in 2019 and 2020.
“Moore Regional Hospital is honored to once again be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to quality stroke treatment and ensuring our patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Melanie Blacker, M.D., stroke program director. “The end goal is to help people experience longer, healthier lives.”
To qualify for the American Heart Association’s Stroke Honor Roll Award, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with clot-buster alteplase.
To qualify for the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, MRH was proven to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
Moore Regional Hospital also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. For more information about FirstHealth, visit www.firsthealth.org.
