Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital Recognized for High Quality Stroke Care

Rockville, MD – Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital – both part of the Adventist HealthCare system - have received the Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) for their expert, high quality stroke care. This award, which is part of the AHA’s ‘Get With The Guidelines – Stroke’ program, recognizes each hospital for achieving at least a 75 percent compliance rate on six stroke quality measures over 12 consecutive months while also achieving at least an 85 percent rate on all of the ‘Get With The Guidelines – Stroke’ achievement measures.

“We are honored to be recognized for the high quality care that we provide to stroke patients in our community,” said Dennis Hansen, President of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. “This recognition of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’s stroke care reflects the dedication and commitment of the physicians and staff on our stroke team in providing high-quality care to our patients.”

The AHA’s achievement measures include percent of acute stroke patients that arrive at the hospital within two hours of onset of stroke symptoms and receive clot dissolving medication within three hours, as well as percent of smokers who receive smoking cessation advice or medication during discharge. Quality measures include items such as stroke education and rehabilitation.

"As a designated Primary Stroke Center, Washington Adventist Hospital is pleased to achieve this important distinction recognizing the high quality stroke care we provide to our community,” said Joyce Newmyer, President of Washington Adventist Hospital.

Both Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital are designated Primary Stroke Centers by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). As Primary Stroke Centers, the hospitals have measures in place that allow for a streamlined approach to caring for stroke patients.

“For stroke patients, quick actions can save lives and limit disabilities,” said Dr. Randall Wagner, Medical Director of Washington Adventist Hospital's Stroke Center. “Washington Adventist Hospital's highly skilled stroke team has important systems in place to provide life-saving care to stroke patients at our hospital.”

Both Shady Grove Adventist and Washington Adventist Hospital have acute stroke units, integrated emergency response systems and multidisciplinary stroke teams including neurologists, surgeons, emergency department physicians, nurses and a stroke program coordinator.

“At Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, our expert stroke team provides quick and coordinated care to patients,” said Dr. Pavel Klein, Stroke Program Medical Director for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. “Our 24-hour team works to identify stroke patients so that they can be treated efficiently and given the best chance for recovery.”

Last year, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist Hospital both received ACTION Registry-Get With The Guidelines Performance Achievement Awards from the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association for their consistent, outstanding care to heart attack patients.

Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute care facility in Rockville, Maryland, with 339 licensed beds. Shady Grove is committed to delivering excellent health care through a ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing. The hospital offers a broad range of health services and is recognized for excellence in emergency care; high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care; cardiac and vascular interventional care; oncology care; several surgical specialties; and a number of specialized services for children. The Shady Grove Adventist Emergency Center in Germantown provides emergency medical care to more than 35,000 residents each year. Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is part of Maryland-based Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery system that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. For additional information visit www.shadygroveadentisthospital.com

Washington Adventist Hospital is a 271-bed acute-care facility located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Washington Adventist Hospital is Montgomery County’s first cardiac center, performing more than 500 open-heart surgeries and more than 6,000 heart catheterizations each year. The Hospital is the first accredited Cycle III Chest Pain Center in the DC Metro Area. Washington Adventist Hospital is part of Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health-care delivery system based in Rockville, Maryland, that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. For more information visit, www.washingtonadventisthospital.com.