Parkwest Medical Center Recognized for Outstanding Stroke and Heart Care

Each year, the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recognize hospitals that meet specific measures for excellent care for patients experiencing stroke and heart events. The AHA/ASA’s Get With The Guidelines® and Mission: Lifeline® Quality Achievement Awards are based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines developed from the latest scientific evidence.

Parkwest Medical Center recently received four quality achievement awards: two in the area of stroke treatment and two in the area of cardiac care. The awards recognize Parkwest’s commitment to ensuring stroke and heart patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to national guidelines.

Every Minute Counts with Stroke

According to the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth highest cause of death and a leading cause of adult dis- ability in the United States. 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. Parkwest Medical Center is designated as a Primary Stroke Center, which means the hospital has a dedicated stroke-focused team with qualified medical professionals and staff trained in stroke care. Hospital staff provide individualized care to meet the needs of stroke patients and can often stabilize and successfully treat patients with tPA who do not require surgical intervention for the removal of a blood clot.

Parkwest Medical Center earned two AHA/ASA stroke accolades by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines. The treatment goals are to speed recovery and reduce death and disability for stroke patients. Parkwest received the Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award. To qualify for this 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.

Parkwest also received the Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures through more than 80 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

“The Parkwest stroke program is relentlessly committed to high-quality, timely and safe care for all of our stroke patients,” said Rob Malka, MD, a neurologist at Parkwest Medical Center. “Our team prioritizes rapid response, attention to detail, teamwork and communication to ensure all of our quality metrics are kept at a high level. We are honored to be publicly recognized by the AHA for our hard work and dedication to putting the patient first.”

A Heart in the Right Place

Every year, more than 280,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. The American Heart Association created the Mission: Lifeline program to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.

The goal of this initiative is prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with calling 911 for emergency medical service transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Parkwest received the Get with the Guidelines CAD/ Mission: Lifeline STEMI Gold Receiving  Plus Award for timely treatment of heart attack patients through emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries in heart attack patients when needed. In addition, Parkwest received the Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Gold Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer heart attacks.

“I’m so proud of the accomplishments of both our heart and stroke teams for their recent recognition from the American Heart Association. The Get with the Guidelines programs developed by the American Heart Association help determine the most current, evidence-based treatment guidelines for cardiac and stroke patients who come to our facility,” said Mike Cavacos, MSN, CCCC, CCRN, NE – BC, chief nursing officer at Parkwest Medical Center. “This is a great tool for our outstanding staff, who are already committed to putting our patients first every day, and providing excellent care in everything they do. Thank you to all of our employees and physicians who contributed to Parkwest receiving these awards.”

With elite cardiologists and specially trained staff, excellent cardiac catheterization  facilities and surgery suites, and superior cardiac rehabilitation programs, Parkwest consistently has been named a top-performing heart hospital. For more information, visit TreatedWell.com.