Nyack Hospital Recognized for Treatment of Stroke Patients

A hospital-based quality improvement program called Get With the Guidelines has given Nyack Hospital its -Stroke Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing the measures staff have taken to speed recovery and reduce disability for stroke patients.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients are outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

In the United States, stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability, hospital officials said in a press release. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

“We are dedicated to improving the quality of stroke care and The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get WithThe Guidelines–Stroke helps us achieve that goal,” said Nyack Hospital Vice President and Medical Director Michael Rader, MD in the release. “With this award, our hospital demonstrates our commitment to ensure that our patients receive care based on internationally-respected clinical guidelines.”

Nyack Hospital also received the association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll for taking steps to reduce the time between hospital arrival and treatment with the clot-buster tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. People who suffer a stroke who receive the drug within three hours of the onset of symptoms may recover quicker and are less likely to suffer severe disability.