Parkland Medical Center Recognized as the Only Hospital in

New Hampshire to Receive the American Stroke Association’s Gold Performance Achievement Award

Derry, NH, March 3, 2009 – The American Stroke Association recently awarded Parkland Medical Center its Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–­Stroke) Gold Performance Achievement Award at the International Stroke Conference 2008.  The award recognizes Parkland’s commitment and singular success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care in New Hampshire by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment for at least 24 months according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.  Parkland Medical Center is the only New Hampshire hospital recognized.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG–Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Eileen Keefe, RN, Parkland’s VP for Quality/Risk.  Parkland has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

To receive the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, Parkland demonstrated 85 percent adherence in the GWTG–Stroke key measures for 24 or more consecutive months. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs, and smoking cessation.

“The American Stroke Association commends Parkland Medical Center for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols in the state of New Hampshire,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee Member and director of the acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”

GWTG–­Stroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Through GWTG–­Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish. In addition, the GWTG Patient Management Tool provides access to up-to-date cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care.

“By implementing GWTG-Stroke, we continue to focus on improving the quality of stroke care. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population,” said Jeff Scionti, Parkland’s Chief Operating Officer.

According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 780,000 people suffer a stroke — 600,000 are first attacks and 180,000 are recurrent. Of stroke survivors aged 49 and older, 21 percent of men and 24 percent of women die within a year.  For those aged 70 and older, the percentages are even higher. 

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Media Contact:         

Kim Larose 

603.421.2115

Kimberly.Larose@hcahealthcare.com