We are proud to announce Fairview Range received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GoldPlus Quality Achievement Award and the Silver Level award for Rural Stroke.
What is the GoldPlus Quality Achievement Award?
Hospitals that receive the Get With The Guidelines GoldPlus Achievement Award have met a high standard for treating stroke patients. They follow the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s care guidelines with at least 85% accuracy and meet 75% of vital stroke care quality measures.
“We have a set process that we follow for all patients who present with a wide range of stroke symptoms. The type of symptom determines if the patient needs a neuro eval or automatic code stroke activation, all of which will occur within 5 minutes of arrival for patients presenting with stroke symptoms that started within the last 24 hours,” states Kristen Bayliss, Registered Nurse, and Trauma and Stroke Coordinator.
These measures ensure the use of the latest evidence-based treatments to speed recovery and reduce death and disability in stroke patients. Treatments include medications for clots and cholesterol, blood thinners, prevention of deep vein clots, and counseling to quit smoking.
What is the Silver Stroke Rural Recognition Award?
People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts 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., Fairview Range is committed to changing that.
For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, Fairview Range has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award.
“Receiving these awards is very special for all of us in the Emergency Department because it is a direct reflection of how well we respond and care for our community during a situation that is not only scary for the patient but can also have lifelong deficits if not treated promptly,” explains Bayliss.
Did You Know?
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts.
When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times.
Signs of a Stroke
A simple way to spot the signs of a stroke is to remember the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. It stands for:
B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance.
E – Eyes: Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.
F – Face drooping: Does the face look uneven?
A – Arm weakness: Does one arm drift down? Ask them to raise both arms.
S – Speech difficulty: Does their speech sound strange? Ask them to repeat a phrase.
T – Time to call 911
If any or all of these symptoms are present, call 911 right away.
