Bassett Wins Gold For Stroke Care

COOPERSTOWN – Bassett Hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for its quality care of patients, receiving the “Get With the Guidelines” Stroke Gold Plus & Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll Award.

“Time is brain,” said Dr. Paul Deringer, Bassett division chief of neurology and stroke director. “A patient having a stroke loses 1.9 million nerve cells every minute. So prompt treatment is vital to reduce the chance of permanent disability.”

The award recognizes Bassett’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures to receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, hospitals must meet quality measures 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 USDA to treat ischemic stroke. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability.

Bassett Medical Center 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 quality measures are designed to help hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

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Additionally, Bassett Medical Center has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center Designated by the New York State Department of Health, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
“The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognize Bassett Medical Center for its commitment to stroke care,” said Paul Heidenreich, MD, MS, national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. “Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program.”