UConn John Dempsey Hospital continues to earn accolades from independent third parties for stroke and heart attack care, including now a eighth consecutive year with a “Get With The Guidelines® — Stroke Gold Plus” designation and tenth consecutive year Mission: Lifeline®-STEMI Receiving Center – Gold award from the American Heart Association

American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines Stroke

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

UConn John Dempsey 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.

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.

 In addition, UConn John Dempsey Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award by meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke and the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award, which aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center

UConn John Dempsey Hospital has also received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.

Each year, about 285,000 people in the U.S. experience this type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery.  Nearly 40% of people who go to the emergency room with acute coronary syndrome are diagnosed with a STEMI. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.

The STEMI Receiving Center award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

In addition, the hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, for aiming to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart attack.