Mountainside Medical Center receives award for commitment to quality stroke care

GLEN RIDGE / MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center has received the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s “Get With The Guidelines–Stroke” Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award in recognition of the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines along with treatment guidelines to improve patient outcomes and care.

Mountainside 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 measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications for stroke treatments, continued stroke education for managing patient health, and counseling during and after hospital stays.

“Mountainside is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s ‘Get With The Guidelines–Stroke’ initiative,” hospital CEO Tim O’Brien said. “It is important that our local communities realize that nationally recognized stroke care and education is available here at Mountainside.”

Mountainside Medical Center additionally received the association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To earn this award, the hospital met quality measures such as diabetes counseling, lifestyle recommendations and follow-up care for diabetes management.

According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 40 seconds. Nearly 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year.