MVHS recognized for stroke care

UTICA, N.Y. — The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recently honored the Mohawk Valley Health System’s (MVHS) commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

For the 12th straight year, MVHS received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll quality achievement award.

MVHS earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. The measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with current guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. This also includes providing education on managing their health, scheduling follow-up visits, and other care-transition interventions before discharging stroke patients.

The health system also met specific scientific guidelines as a comprehensive stroke center featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

“MVHS is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” Varun V. Reddy, MVHS Comprehensive Stroke and Neuro-endovascular program director, said in a news release. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidence-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

This year, the program also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award for ensuring patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at a higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Stoke is the number-five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and speeding recovery times.