CMC receives Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award

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CMC receives Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award

Catholic Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes CMC’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Dr. Joseph Pepe, President and CEO of Catholic Medical Center. CMC has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

To receive the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award, CMC consistently followed the treatment guidelines in the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. The Bronze Medal Award is the first in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach above the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain this award.

“We commend CMC for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the national Get With the Guidelines Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”

Get With The Guidelines–Stroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second stroke. Through Get With The Guidelines–Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish. In addition, the Get With The Guidelines Patient Management Tool provides access to up-to-date cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care.

“The time is right for Catholic Medical Center to be focused on improving the quality of stroke care by implementing Get With The Guidelines–Stroke. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population,” said Dr. Keith McAvoy, Medical Director, CMC Stroke Program.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. 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.

Click here to learn about CMC's Stroke Program.

Proof of Excellence

CMC and our staff have earned the following awards.

Award		Award Description

		CMC Receives Full Accreditation for 3 Years with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer The Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a nationally recognized multidisciplinary accreditation program. By working with its national partners, the CoC has developed comprehensive, patient-centered standards for cancer programs.

		2013: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire has designated Catholic Medical Center as a Blue Distinction® Center for Spine Surgery(SM). Blue Distinction® Centers are hospitals recognized for their expertise in delivering specialty care. For more information please visit http://www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.*

		2013: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire has designated Catholic Medical Center as a Blue Distinction® Center for Knee and Hip Replacement (SM). Blue Distinction® Centers are hospitals recognized for their expertise in delivering specialty care. For more information please visit http://www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction .*


		America's 100 Best Hospital for Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention. The New England Heart Institute at Catholic Medical Center delivers patient results that meet high standards and criteria for cardiac excellence. Source: HealthGrades, a national leader for physician information and hospital quality ratings. HealthGrades analyzes data from all of the nation's 5,000 non-federal hospitals, and its free website is searched by 200 million healthcare consumers a year.

		First hospital in the state to perform a mechanical heart/left ventricular assist device implant.

		First hospital in the state for neonatal unit based on "couplet care, a philosophy and care model that keeps mother and baby together in large nurturing suites and state-of-the-art monitoring technologies.

		Top 10% in the nation for patient satisfaction. Determined by the analysis of survey data from 3,837 U.S. hospitals. Awarded hospitals must meet bed size, survey response size and clinical quality thresholds in order to be eligible for the award. Source: HealthGrades, a national leader for physician information and hospital quality ratings. HealthGrades analyzes data from all of the nation's 5,000 non-federal hospitals, and its free website is searched by 200 million healthcare consumers a year.

		Bariatric Center of Excellence designation for Obesity Treatment Center

		‘Top Performer on Key Quality Measures™’ Recognition from The Joint Commission CMC was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Care.

		Catholic Medical Center receives Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes CMC’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

		CMC receives a 3 star rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has developed a comprehensive rating system for the quality of cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country. Approximately 12-15% of hospitals received the 3 star rating which denotes the highest category of care. Since January 2010 the cardiac surgery performance of our hospital was found to lie in the highest quality tier, thereby receiving an STS 3 star rating.

		Named to Harvard Pilgrim's 2012 Hospital Honor Roll The Hospital Honor Roll names those hospitals whose performance was among the top 25% of those measured nationally on a set of composite quality metrics. The metrics evaluate clinical process of care, patient experience and patient safety and are based on CMC Hospital Compare and Leapfrog data.

^{*Blue Distinction® Centers met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. Blue Distinction® Centers+ also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Individual outcomes may vary. National criteria is displayed on www.bcbs.com. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area. To find out which services and providers (including hospital based physicians) are covered under your policy, or to learn about Local Blue Plan Criteria, contact your Local Blue Plan; and contact your provider before making an appointment to verify its current Network and Blue Distinction Centers status. Each hospital’s Cost Index is calculated separately, based on data from its Local Blue Plan. Hospitals in portions of CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in areas served by two Local Blue Plans, resulting in two Cost Index figures; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether all hospitals in these areas must meet Blue Distinction Centers+ national criteria for one or both Cost Index figures. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for damages, losses, or non-covered charges resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers. To find out more, contact your Local Blue Plan.}