Eleven Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Nationally Recognized For Stroke Care By American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines Stroke Awards

August 1, 2023 — Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals are being recognized for their readiness to respond and care for stroke patients. Eleven Hackensack Meridian hospitals have been awarded the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award.   

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. 

“We are honored that the hard work of our clinical care teams is being recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association,” says Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Throughout the network, Hackensack Meridian Health is providing high-quality stroke care through its quick emergency responses,  administration of life saving clot busting drugs and advanced surgeries. The network is also delivering preventative care focused on diabetes and other conditions that can cause a stroke, saving lives and building healthier communities across the state of New Jersey.” 

Get With The Guidelines put the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence and research-based guidelines including the use of clot busting and preventative medications. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, Hackensack Meridian Health qualified for the award by demonstrating how the organization has committed to improving quality care. 

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

• Bayshore Medical Center - Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Hackensack University Medical Center- Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center- Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• JFK University Medical Center- Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Ocean University Medical Center-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Old Bridge Medical Center - Stroke Gold Plus with Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Mountainside Medical Center- Stroke Gold Plus with with Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Palisades Medical Center- Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Pascack Valley Medical Center-Stroke Gold Plus with Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Riverview Medical Center - Stroke Gold Plus with Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Southern Ocean Medical Center - Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 

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. 

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. 

“We are pleased to recognize Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals for their commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.” 

For more information: www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org