Rapides Regional Receives Gold Plus Quality for Stroke Care

Rapides Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

“We are pleased to recognize Rapides Regional Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chair of the Get With The Guidelines steering committee. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

Rapides Regional Medical Center 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. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health and have a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as receiving other care transition interventions.

“Rapides Regional Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guideline-Stroke initiative,” said Jason Cobb, CEO of Rapides Regional Medical Center. “This award, along with our recent A grade on the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores, shows our commitment to putting patient safety and outcomes first.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability 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.