08/03/2020
Appling Healthcare received the 2020 Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association for exceptional stroke care.
Pictured from left to right: Karen Lightsey, Data Abstractor; Stephanie Mercer, Quality and Infection Control Manager; Randy Crawford, CEO; Rose Keller, Chief Nursing Officer; Terri Twiggs, Emergency Department Manager; and Jimmy Twiggs, EMS Director. (Photo taken months ago)
Appling Healthcare in Baxley has received the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® -Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Appling Healthcare 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. 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 should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive this award and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team,” said Randy Crawford, CEO of Appling Healthcare. “Our hospital system is committed to improving the quality of care for stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative. I am extremely proud of this major accomplishment and I look forward to what the future holds as we continue to improve stroke care in our community.”
According to Crawford, the tools and resources provided helped Appling Healthcare track and measure their success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.
“We are pleased to recognize Appling Healthcare for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
According to the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and one of the main causes of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
Appling Healthcare
Since 1951, Appling Healthcare has been dedicated to providing our patients/residents the highest quality of medical care possible. Appling Healthcare, located in Baxley, Ga., is a licensed, non-profit acute care medical facility. Appling Healthcare is licensed for 64 beds (30 of these beds serve as our Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit) and offers an array of high quality, technologically advanced inpatient and outpatient health care services to Appling County and surrounding communities. Primary care offices located in Baxley, Blackshear, and Vidalia. Appling Healthcare can treat every member of your family for a variety of conditions with the latest treatments and procedures.
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 6 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
