NEWS

 
New Brunswick, N.J. – August 29, 2023 – Saint Peter’s University Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
 
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times.
 
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
 
“Saint Peter’s University Hospital is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for our commitment to improving patient care and offering stroke patients the best possible chance of survival after a stroke,” said Maria Bartman, BSN, RN, CEN, stroke coordinator at Saint Peter’s and chair of Saint Peter’s Stroke Committee. “Our teams use proven knowledge and guidelines daily, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in New Brunswick and the greater Middlesex County region can experience longer, healthier lives.”
 
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
 
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Saint Peter’s University Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”
 
Saint Peter’s University Hospital is certified as an advanced primary stroke center by The Joint Commission, demonstrating that the hospital has established a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department and has consistently met quality metrics that reflect the best evidence-based care for stroke patients. Saint Peter’s is also designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
 
An advanced primary stroke center is the first line of defense in diagnosing and treating stroke and preventing or minimizing permanent brain damage to the patient.
 
“Time is of the essence when it comes to stroke. With every minute that passes in patient suffering from a stroke, 1.9 million neurons are lost. By having protocols in place to treat stroke patients quickly and effectively, we minimize the damage of the stroke, reduce disability, and save lives,” said Roger Behar, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Stroke Program at Saint Peter’s.
 
This year, Saint Peter’s University Hospital is also the proud recipient of the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to 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.
 
The Thyroid and Diabetes Center at Saint Peter’s offers individualized treatment plans for each patient with diabetes, including diabetes self-management education* and nutrition recommendations from the Center’s certified diabetes educators.
 
To read more about Saint Peter’s stroke services, please visit saintpetershcs.com/stroke.
 
*The American Diabetes Association recognizes this education service as meeting the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support.

###
 
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600
 
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 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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.