The American Heart Association for the fourth consecutive year awarded the Springfield location the Gold Plus Get with The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award and the Target: Stroke Honor Roll award for reducing the time between arrival to treatment with thrombolytic therapy, according to a release. Thrombolytic therapy is used to dissolve blood clots and restore normal blood flow, according to Mercy Health.
The Urbana Hospital was awarded the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition award for its efforts to reduce rural health care stroke outcome disparities.
“The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program equips our teams to turn clinical research into real-world outcomes every day — outcomes that help our patients recover faster and live longer, healthier lives," Collins said. “Being recognized again this year reflects our ongoing dedication to improving stroke care for the communities we serve.”
Get With The Guideline’s stroke in-hospital program promotes “consistent adherence” to stroke care guidelines to minimize long-term effects and prevent death.
Program participants each year qualify for the award by showing their commitment to quality stroke care. They also educate patients on managing their recovery and health at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center and Mercy Health – Urbana Hospital for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Dr. Steven Messe, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Stroke is the second-leading cause of death in Clark County and the third in Champaign County.
Mercy Health – Springfield began a partnership with the Springfield Fire Rescue Division in 2023 to reduce the amount of time it takes a person having a stroke to get life-saving treatment, with several trainings focusing on the best practices to identify a stroke, where to take a patient for the best care and information to share with the receiving hospital.
Mercy Health has also introduced new stroke detection technology and has a unique rehabilitation floor.
The rehabilitation floor features scenes from downtown Springfield, as well as realistic replications to help stroke patients relearn everyday tasks like grocery shopping, going up a step into a house, using an ATM and getting in and out of a car.
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