Mega Doctor News
It’s a simple fact: Every minute matters in the event of a stroke.
About 1.9 million brain cells die each minute that a stroke is untreated, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the longer a patient goes without medical intervention, the greater their risk of disability and death.
Swift treatment can minimize damage, improve the chances of recovery and reduce mortality rates.
In the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas Health System McAllen, one of only 47 facilities currently designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Facility by Texas Department of State Health Services, continues to be a nationally recognized leader in stroke care.
STHS McAllen – certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the DNV, signifying the facility provides the highest level of stroke care, capable of treating the most complex stroke cases and providing a full spectrum of services – has been awarded the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Award for the sixth consecutive year by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
The gold award is the highest honor bestowed to facilities by the non-profit organizations in recognition for their proven dedication to guaranteeing all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care for 24 consecutive months or more.
The award recognizes STHS McAllen’s dedication to ensuring stroke patients get the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, which results in more lives saved and reduced disability.
“As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, South Texas Health System McAllen is dedicated to improving patient outcomes for stroke sufferers in the Rio Grande Valley by observing the latest stroke treatment guidelines,” said Veronica Olivarez, RN, Director of Neurosciences, South Texas Health System. “Get With The Guidelines allows our treatment teams in the emergency room, neuro-interventional suite and rehabilitation units to put proven knowledge and strategies to work every day, which ensures our stroke patients receive consistent, evidence-based care across different settings, leading to better clinical outcomes, faster recovery, and improved quality of life.”
About 800,000 people experience a stroke in the United States annually, per the Stroke Awareness Foundation, making it the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the country.
Occasionally referred to as a brain attack, a stroke is a medical emergency that happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts, damaging or killing brain tissue. Early stroke detection and timely treatment are vital to improving the chances of survival, minimizing the risk of disability and accelerating a patient’s recovery time.
Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
It puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines.
Participating facilities like STHS McAllen qualify for the award by demonstrating how they have committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines program participants must provide important education to patients that can help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize South Texas Health System McAllen for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “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.”
STHS McAllen also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award for the second consecutive year. To earn this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with a clot-buster alteplase injection.
Additionally, STHS McAllen – certified as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, which recognizes the facility’s expertise in performing endovascular thrombectomies – has received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.
STHS McAllen also earned the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award for the sixth consecutive year. The award intends to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who may be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
STHS McAllen’s continued recognition demonstrates the facility’s commitment to providing treatment to patients at core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association.
STHS McAllen is part of the STHS Neurosciences & Stroke Institute, the largest integrated network of stroke care in the Rio Grande Valley. In addition to STHS McAllen’s Comprehensive Stroke Center, the institute includes the Primary Stroke Centers at STHS Edinburg and STHS Heart, as well as six Acute Stroke Ready Hospital-certified freestanding emergency departments throughout the region.
For more information about the institute and the services provided across its facilities, visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.
