Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

Beverly and Gloucester, MA – Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals have 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 No. 5 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.

“We are honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our proven dedication to ensuring patients have access to exceptional care by that follows to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Tom Sands, President of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, improving the chance of survival and recovery for stroke patients.”

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.

This year, Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals also received these achievement awards:

• Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll: Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.
• Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll: Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals received 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.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

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 the American Heart Association's website.

About Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals

Beverly Hospital is a full-service 373-bed community hospital founded in 1888 that serves more than 13 communities across Massachusetts’ North Shore and Cape Ann. With a medical staff of more than 500 physicians, the hospital provides quality, patient-centered care in maternity, pediatrics, surgical, orthopedics and cardiology, as well as other specialties.

Addison Gilbert Hospital is a 52-bed community hospital located in Gloucester, MA. Since its founding in 1889, Cape Ann residents have turned to the hospital when they needed care. Specialties include radiology, cancer care, pain management, cardiology, chronic disease management, inpatient geriatric services and emergency medicine.

Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals are a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.