Main Line Health hospitals recognized for stroke and diabetes care by American Heart Association

Main Line Health's acute care hospitals--Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital--have once again been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for excellence in stroke care. All four hospitals earned Gold Plus status or higher for stroke care.

• Bryn Mawr Hospital achieved Target Stroke Elite Honor, Target Diabetes Honor Roll and Advanced Therapy Honor Roll status for its advanced neurointerventional program, the only one in the Western Philadelphia Suburbs.
• Lankenau Medical Center received the Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and the Target Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Paoli Hospital received the Target Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Riddle Hospital received the Target Diabetes Honor Roll.

To receive the Get with the Guidelines award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Achievement indicators for two years or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. Main Line Health consistently exceeded these standards.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke strikes nearly 800,000 Americans each year and is a leading cause of death and adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every four minutes.

"As we recognize Stroke Awareness Month, this is a great opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the work of our stroke care teams across the Main Line Health System," says Michelle J. Smith, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery at Main Line Health. “The Get with the Guidelines awards demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing timely, comprehensive stroke care to the members of our community. I am incredibly grateful for the hard work of our care teams' commitment to ensuring that our patients receive exceptional, lifesaving care."

Get with The Guidelines - Stroke program improves stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific guidelines. The award recognizes the commitment and success of each hospital’s staff in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines.

To learn more about stroke care at Main Line Health, visit mainlinehealth.org/stroke.