Phelps Hospital Earns National Recognition in Stroke Treatment

Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“Phelps is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Elaine Gardner, BSN, RN, CCRN, Clinical Program Manager/Stroke Coordinator at Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health. “Achieving this designation is a result of the skilled and efficient effort of multiple staff and departments working together as a team from the time a patient enters our doors. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”

Each year, program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Phelps also provides education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.

“We are pleased to recognize Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

In addition, Phelps also received the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapy awards. To qualify for the Elite Therapy recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health is located at 701 North Broadway in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. and can be reached by calling (914) 366-3000 or visiting www.phelps.northwell.edu. Follow @PhelpsHospitalNorthwell on Facebook, @Phelps-Hospital-Northwell on LinkedIn and @PhelpsHospital on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

About Phelps Hospital

Phelps Hospital, part of Northwell Health, is a full-service 238-bed acute care community hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. With more than 1,700 employees and 1,100 medical staff members representing 60 medical specialties, Phelps offers one of the broadest ranges of community hospital services in Westchester County. Caring for the community is at the heart of what Phelps does. Patients benefit from distinguished physicians, many of whom are pioneers in their field, offering the most advanced procedures using the latest technology. Phelps is one of approximately 500 hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet Recognition® status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for its commitment to nursing excellence and compassionate patient care. The hospital is supported by Northwell Health Physician Partners, a primary and specialty care medical group, with practices located on the hospital campus and in the surrounding communities. For more information, visit www.phelps.northwell.edu.

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, 830 outpatient facilities and more than 16,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 76,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,800 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.