Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center’s Stroke Program Strikes Gold
PHOENIX (Aug. 26, 2011) – Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been awarded the “Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award” by the American Stroke and American Heart Associations for its success in treating stroke patients.
The Stroke Program at BGSMC received the award for excelling in the “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Achievement Program.” The guidelines set forth by the American Heart and Stroke Associations center around a timeline.
To survive a stroke, patients need to be treated within hours of the first onset of symptoms. There is only one type of drug approved to treat strokes - a clot-buster called Tissue Plasminogen Activator, or tPA. It must be administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms to be effective. If more time elapses, the drug cannot prevent damage to the brain.
Good Sam's Stroke Program makes sure stroke patients who arrive at the Emergency Department within three hours of onset stroke symptoms receive t-PA treatment.
“Time is of the essence when treating a stroke patient, and the goal of Banner Good Sam’s Stroke Program is making sure our patients receive timely treatment that will ensure the best possible outcomes,“ said Larry Volkmar, chief executive officer of Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. “This award is a testament to the program’s dedicated staff – all of whom are committed to delivering the best possible care for our stroke patients.”
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center’s recognition will include being listed in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s ad in the “Best Hospitals” issues of the US News & World Report that will be available on newsstands August 31st.
About Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a nonprofit organization. The hospital was named to the 2011-’12 U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Gynecology. Banner Good Samaritan has been recognized as a Magnet™ facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices, and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Valley by The Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ in 2007 and 2008 and one of the “Top 100 Hospitals to Work For” by Nursing Professionals magazine.
