The George Washington University Hospital Achieves Highest Stroke Recognition from American Heart Association®/American Stroke Association®

Monday, October 4, 2021
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The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital) has received the American Heart Association®/American Stroke Association® Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals with providing the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“We are thrilled to once again receive this award that highlights our dedication to providing the highest quality stroke care to our patients,” says Kimberly Russo, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of GW Hospital and Vice President of the DC Region for Universal Health Services. “GW Hospital remains committed to advancing medicine so our patients can have the best outcomes possible, as well as providing preventive support and education to help keep our community healthy.”

GW Hospital also received the Association’s Target: Stroke Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

“We know that when a stroke strikes, every minute matters. At the GW Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center, our multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive, timely care so our patients can have the best outcome possible,” says Henry Kaminski, MD, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at GW Hospital, The GW Medical Faculty Associates and GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “These recognitions highlight the ongoing dedication of our team to advance medicine and enhance care for stroke patients throughout the region.”

Additionally, GW Hospital 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% of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

In addition to these awards, GW Hospital is designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the highest level possible, and was recognized this year as High Performing in stroke care by U.S. News and World Report for 2021-2022.