NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ— Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s (RWJUH) Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center has again earned the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapy with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition.
For stroke patients, this means RWJUH has met quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-busting medications and interventional procedures.
For patients with Diabetes, it means that RWJUH has met quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”
Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of vascular disease – including heart attack, stroke and heart failure. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical.
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs help reduce barriers to prompt treatment for vascular events. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines program, RWJUH applied for the award recognitions by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care for patients.
“For our patients and communities, this recognition is evidence of our commitment to constant improvement in our critical interventions for ischemic strokes and in preventing strokes in vulnerable populations such as those who have diabetes,” said Bill Arnold, President and Chief Executive Officer of RWJUH. “As an academic medical center and a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, we remain committed to offering patients the most advanced therapies, technologies and expert care to our patients.”
“Earning this recognition again is the direct result of the dedication among all of our teams – neurology, neurosurgery, emergency care, emergency medical services, critical care, nursing, physical rehabilitation, and social work – to provide exceptional care to our stroke patients and return them to an active, healthy lifestyle. We are proud that the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have recognized our team’s efforts and we are committed to continue providing residents of our state with the most advanced stroke care available,” said Kiwon Lee, MD, Chief of Neurology at RWJUH; Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Medical Director of the RWJUH’s Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
In April, RWJUH earned The Joint Commission’s (TJC) Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Comprehensive Stroke Center by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The Stroke Program underwent a rigorous virtual survey during which a team from TJC evaluated compliance with national standards, clinical guidelines and outcomes of care for stroke. The virtual visit spanned several areas including the Emergency Department, Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Neurocritical Care Unit, Neurology Intermediate Care Unit and Neurology floor. The program received a ‘perfect’ survey result from the visit, meaning there were no requirements for improvement cited.
The Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center at RWJUH provides patients with rapid diagnosis and treatment, specialized inpatient care, and access to clinical research through a partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH received its first Advanced Certification in Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2013 from TJC. The 2022 certification marks the programs fifth consecutive re-certification and underscores the institution’s commitment to serve its communities with the highest levels of life-saving care.
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 tools and resources to increase adherence to 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 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 600-bed academic medical center that serves as the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick
Contact: Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
732-937-8568