South Georgia Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus, Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive high quality care according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. This is the eighth consecutive year SGMC has received this prestigious recognition.
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. 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. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
“The problem with stroke is that it may not kill you, but it can destroy your life,” says Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Dawson.
Georgia is considered to be the “buckle” of what is known as the “stroke belt,” the region in the southeastern United States with the highest incidence of stroke.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals by providing the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
Each year program participants demonstrate how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, SGMC also provides education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
“We are honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping patients have the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Dr. Dawson. “Being the buckle of the stroke belt means we see stroke patients on a frequent basis. It’s our job to ensure they get the treatment they need in order to go back home and live their normal lives again. This award just gives us the confirmation that we’re doing just that.”
Additionally, SGMC received the Association’s Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”
SGMC has the region’s only accredited stroke program by the Joint Commission.