Brookwood Baptist Medical Honored for Excellence in Stroke Care

Award sets the stage for Stroke Awareness Month

Brookwood Baptist Medical Center today announced it earned the 2018 Get With The Guidelines^®-GOLD PLUS Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for excellence in stroke care. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke is an in-hospital program designed to improve acute stroke treatment and prevent future stroke and cardiovascular events. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke focuses on quick diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients through Primary Stroke Centers.

 

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognize hospitals with GOLD PLUS Awards for achieving 85% or higher compliance with all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Achievement Measures and 75% or higher compliance with five or more Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures for two or more consecutive years and achieving Thrombolytic Therapy ≤ 60 minutes 75% and ≤ 45 minutes 50% or more of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.

Brookwood Baptist Health Chief Executive Officer, Keith Parrott, praised Brookwood Baptist Medical Center during the awards ceremony, referring to the facility as a stroke center of excellence.

According to Parrott, “This award continues to define Brookwood Baptist Medical Center as top notch in the care of stroke, and we are extremely proud of this achievement that reaffirms to our patients they can depend on Brookwood Baptist Medical Center to provide the highest level of care.”

“On behalf of the entire Brookwood Baptist Medical Center Stroke Care Team, we are extremely proud to receive this recognition and be a part of this program, which underscores the critical importance of patients receiving the benefits of the latest scientific guidelines-based treatment,” said Dr. Jitendra Sharma, interventional neurologist. “Our nurses are our first line of defense and deserve a tremendous amount of credit for this success.”

Presenting the award to Dr. Sharma and the Stroke Care Team was Debbie Cardwell, director, Quality & Systems Improvement, Greater Southeast Affiliate of the American Heart Association.

“The tremendous progress and continued success of the Brookwood Baptist Medical Center to provide its patients with the highest quality care in the treatment of stroke is outstanding and provides the community with a much-needed resource,” stated Cardwell. “The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association commends the work of this team.”

The award presentation provided an opportunity for Brookwood Baptist Medical Center patient and stroke survivor, Sue Kelly, to thank the team for their intervention following her stroke in February of this year.

“I am eternally grateful for the care provided by Dr. Sharma, the nurses at Brookwood Baptist, the physical therapy services team and everyone throughout the process,” said Kelly.” From the time they began my intervention until now, including my ongoing rehabilitation, everyone on the team has played a role in providing excellent care.”