The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s award recognizes Florida Hospital North Pinellas’ commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.

TARPON SPRINGS – Florida Hospital North Pinellas is being recognized as a “Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus” hospital.

To receive the award, Florida Hospital North Pinellas achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement” indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures,” designed to measure the quality of care.

“Florida Hospital North Pinellas is proud to be recognized as a ‘Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus’ hospital.  This achievement exemplifies our team’s dedication to providing patients with high quality, compassionate care when they need it most,” said Bruce Bergherm, president and CEO of Florida Hospital North Pinellas.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the leading causes of long-term disability in the U.S., according to the  American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

“Get With The Guidelines-Stroke” uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their healthcare professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Through “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke,” customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish.

Florida Hospital North Pinellas, located in Tarpon Springs, is a member of Florida Hospital network of the Adventist Health System, the largest health care provider in the state. Florida Hospital network cares for nearly one million residents and visitors each year.  As a 168-bed, full-service hospital, Florida Hospital North Pinellas serves both the Pinellas and Pasco communities of west central Florida.  For information, see hemh.com.

“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 4 million patients since 2001. For information, heart.org.

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