Banner Boswell earns national award for stroke care
SUN CITY, Ariz. (July 11, 2011) – Banner Boswell Medical Center has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award for its work in “raising the standard of stroke care” by ensuring that stroke patients consistently receive care that follows nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
Banner Boswell is the only hospital in the West Valley to receive a Get With The Guidelines performance achievement award.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said neurologist Darry Johnson, MD, medical director of Banner Boswell’s stroke program.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes.
Banner Boswell’s stroke team has developed a process that allows for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients.
In receiving the award, Banner Boswell was recognized for having met a strict set of criteria from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for the past 12 months. The criteria includes a demonstrated ability to provide comprehensive brain imaging scans, around-the-clock coverage by highly trained neurologists, appropriate and effective medications that minimize the long-term effects of a stroke, and smoking cessation education to patients.
“The American Stroke Association commends Banner Boswell for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols,” said Lee Schwamm, MD, a Boston physician who chairs the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee.
Schwamm said the award affirms that Banner Boswell is taking the steps necessary to save lives and improve outcomes of stroke patients, including educating stroke patients before they leave the hospital on how to minimize their risks of another stroke.
According to the American Stroke Association, patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of another stroke because they are more apt to listen and act on the information they are given. In addition to information provided by their physician and nurse, Banner Boswell patients receive clearly written patient education materials prior to going home.
This is the second national recognition in a year for Banner Boswell’s stroke program. Last year, Banner Boswell was the first hospital in the West Valley to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.
About Banner Boswell Medical Center
Banner Boswell Medical Center, located at 10401 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City, is a 501-bed campus specializing in heart care, cancer care, stroke care, orthopedics, acute rehabilitation, skilled nursing and emergency care. Supporting Banner Boswell’s mission of excellent patient care is the Sun Health Foundation, which encourages charitable giving to support the hospital. Banner Boswell is part of nonprofit Banner Health. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/Boswell.
