Capital Health Regional Medical Center Earns National Awards for Excellence

Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) recently received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Quality Achievement Award. This award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

The American Heart Association also awarded Capital Health Regional Medical Center its Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between a 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.

Capital Health Regional Medical Center earned these awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health and have a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“For many years now, our community has come to rely on Capital Health to provide the most advanced stroke care possible,” said Dr. Dustin Rochestie, director of the Stroke Program and director of Neurology and Neuro Critical Care at Capital Institute for Neurosciences. “By meeting and exceeding the standards established by the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines initiative at RMC—which is home to Capital Institute for Neurosciences and our Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center—we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ensuring more stroke patients in Central New Jersey and Lower Bucks County can experience longer, healthier lives.”

in Stroke Care

Additionally, Capital Health Regional Medical Center received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Hospitals that qualify for this recognition ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Stroke is a time-sensitive emergency. If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, B-E F-A-S-T to know the signs of a stroke and call 911 immediately.

— Balance

Is the person experiencing a sudden loss of balance? B

— Eyes

Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes? E

— Face Drooping

Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? F

A— Arm Weakness

Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S— Speech Difficulty

Is speech slurred? Is the person is unable to speak or hard to understand? As the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

T

— Time to call 911

If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you’ll know when the first symptom appeared.