Eight Memorial Hermann hospitals across the Greater Houston area have received elite recognition from the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) for their commitment to provide high-quality stroke care.
Each of the hospitals received an AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines® award recognizing their dedication to providing the most appropriate treatment for stroke patients according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
“Time is of the essence when a stroke happens, which is why it is so critical to have stroke centers throughout the metropolitan area that are capable of providing speedy, lifesaving treatment when and where people need it most,” said Dr. Sean Savitz, Memorial Hermann’s Director of Stroke Program Development and the Frank M. Yatsu Endowed Chair in Neurology and Director of the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at UTHealth. “We are honored to have so many hospitals selected for this recognition, which is a true testament to our commitment as a System to saving lives and preventing devastating complications in people who are suffering strokes.”
Four of the Memorial Hermann hospitals recognized by AHA/ASA received the highest honor bestowed by the organizations, the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus-Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus award, which recognizes their adherence to all seven of the stroke achievement measures established by the AHA/ASA for two or more consecutive years. These quality measures are designed to help expedite recovery and lessen the risk for death and disability for stroke patients. The hospitals recognized with this award include: Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-busting agent called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. If given within the first three hours following the onset of stroke symptoms, tPA has been proven to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance for permanent disability.
“The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognize Memorial Hermann for its commitment to stroke care,” said Paul Heidenreich, MD, MS, national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. “Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program.”
In addition, AHA/ASA recognized four other hospitals for high quality stroke performance, including:
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, which both received the Gold Plus-Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite; Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, which received the Gold Plus-Target: Stroke Honor Roll; and Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital, which received the Silver Plus.The announcement came during National Stroke Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of strokes and educate Americans about the ways to prevent acute blockages to arteries in the brain that continue to be one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. Strokes afflict a new patient every 40 seconds and lead to one death every four minutes. Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke every year.