HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care
DECATUR— HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital 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 the most appropriate treatment according to nationally
recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced
disability.
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.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American
Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with
the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an inhospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these
guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest
treatment guidelines,” said Kathy Hampsey, MSN, SCRN, RN, clinical quality coordinator and
stroke center coordinator at St. Mary’s Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for
our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show
can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Decatur can experience
longer, healthier lives.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization
has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment
guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their
health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital for its commitment to caring
for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care
Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient
outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families
and communities.”
For more information about HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, visit stmarysdecatur.com.
About HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital
Founded in 1878 by three Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is a 230-bed, all private room health care facility that combines modern technology with the caring spirit of the original founders. St. Mary’s is situated on an attractive 21-acre campus overlooking Lake Decatur and offers a broad spectrum of comprehensive health services, including the latest diagnostic equipment, interventional cardiology, surgical and medical intervention, emergency medical care, outpatient radiation therapy, pain management and a sleep center. St. Mary’s also offers a wide range of community education and wellness programs. The hospital also has both a unique intergenerational day services program and the community’s only provider of hospital-based behavioral health services for all ages.
Learn more by visiting www.stmarysdecatur.com.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states – Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute.
For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001.
For more information, visit heart.org.
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