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For the fourth year in a row, NorthBay Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and also qualified for recognition on the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.

The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

At a recent stroke steering committee meeting the award was presented by Elaina Gunn, senior regional director, Quality and Systems Improvement at American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

“Caring for our patients is our No. 1 priority,” said Beth Gladney, NorthBay Stroke Program manager. “So we are proud to have achieved this recognition for following the latest research-based standards for stroke.”

NorthBay is dedicated to improving the quality of care for its stroke patients and Gladney praised the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative. “The resources help us track and measure our success in meeting these guidelines to improve patient outcomes,” she said.

NorthBay earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level 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 with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

Achieving the Gold-Plus award recognizes NorthBay for 85 percent or higher adherence on all achievement measures and 75 percent or higher adherence with additional select quality measures in heart failure, stroke and/or resuscitation for two or more consecutive years.

NorthBay Medical Center also received the association’s Target: Stroke Elite 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.

“Both recognitions highlight our teamwork and our provider, staff and administrative focus on excellence in care delivery for Solano County,” said Gladney.

“We are pleased to recognize NorthBay for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “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.”