Today, Riverside Health is proud to announce that Riverside Regional Medical Center, Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital and Riverside Walter Reed Hospital have received the 2024 American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association’s (ASA) Get With the Guidelines—Stroke Gold PLUS Quality Achievement Award. The acute care hospitals also earned the recognition of Target — Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll for their commitment to providing research-based, high-quality stroke care for presenting patients with type 2 diabetes. Riverside Regional Medical Center was additionally honored to receive the Target – Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, strokes are the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain is interrupted, the blood vessel ruptures, or bleeding occurs in the brain. Within minutes, brain cells start dying. Fast diagnosis and treatment of a stroke is critical in saving as much brain function as possible.
“We are honored that three of our hospitals have received the 2024 Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award. This recognition underscores our commitment to providing the highest standard of stroke care for our community,” says John N. Livingston II, M.D., Neurologist and Medical Director of Riverside Health’s Frank Sanderson M.D., Stroke & Neurovascular Center. “This award reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team including our EMS partners, the Emergency Departments, the Neurovascular Lab and our inpatient areas.”
Riverside’s advanced stroke network works across the region to ensure that stroke patients in receive the latest treatment protocols. Riverside Regional Medical Center is designated as a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center – one of two in southeast Virginia, and the only one on the Virginia Peninsula. Riverside Walter Reed Hospital and Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital are designated as Primary Stroke Centers.
Riverside earned the gold level award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a minimum of 24 months. These measures include evaluation of medications and other stroke treatments and are aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines that resulted in improving recovery times and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients also received education on managing their health, scheduled a follow-up visit with their provider, as well as other care transition interventions as needed.
To qualify for the Stroke Honor Roll and Honor Roll Elite Plus awards, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival to the hospital and the start of treatment. To qualify for the Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to ensure patients with Type 2 Diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
“This recognition highlights our dedication to improving patient outcomes through rapid diagnosis and advanced treatment protocols,” says William H. McAllister, M.D., Riverside Neurosurgeon and Chief of Neuroscience Services. “By adhering to the highest standards, we ensure our patients receive the best possible care, significantly enhancing patient outcomes for recovery and quality of life after stroke.”
Learn more about Riverside Regional Medical Center’s Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and Riverside Health’s stroke care services by visiting riversideonline.com/stroke.