St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta awarded for efforts to improve rural stroke care
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award recognizes efforts to address the unique health needs of rural communities
RED BLUFF AND MT. SHASTA, Calif. (July 8, 2023) - People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades.[1],[2] St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta are committed to changing that.
For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award.
The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus, Target: StrokeSM Elite Honor Roll, and Target: Type 2 DiabetesSM Honor Roll awards. To qualify for 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. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
“Hospitals in rural areas face many challenges, but we strive to not let those hurdles affect the care our patients receive,” said Rodger Page, President, St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta. “I’m proud of our teams for the important work they do every day to improve the lives of our stroke patients, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival. Our communities deserves high quality stroke care.”
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.
The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.
“Patients and health care professionals in rural areas face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, volunteer expert for the American Heart Association, co-author on “Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association” and co-director of the Center for Health Economics and Policy at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta has furthered this important work to improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”
###
About Dignity Health North State Hospitals
Dignity Health’s three accredited, not-for-profit hospitals in the North State—Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, Mercy Medical Center Redding, and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff— have received national recognition for superior safety and quality. Each is passionate about providing an exceptional patient experience, investing in our communities, advocating for the underserved, and delivering quality, affordable health services to anyone in need.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
[2] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000753#R16
Publish date:
Saturday, July 08, 2023