Both Sarasota and Venice campuses recognized
The American Heart Association (AHA) once again has recognized the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) “for delivering exceptional, evidence-based care to patients experiencing heart and stroke emergencies, honoring both the Sarasota and Venice campuses with multiple Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards,” SMH staff announced on July 9.
“Presented annually, the national awards recognize hospitals that consistently apply the latest scientific guidelines and best practices to improve patient outcomes, reduce disability and save lives,” a news release explains.
Dr. James Fiorica, chief medical officer of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, noted in the release that “the recognitions reflect the experience and expertise of SMH’s skilled cardiovascular and stroke teams, and the organization’s continuing investment in, and commitment to, clinical excellence.”
“Every minute matters when caring for patients experiencing a stroke or cardiac arrest,” Fiorica said in the release. “These awards recognize the dedication of our physicians, nurses, therapists and clinical teams who work together every day to deliver the highest standard of care using the most current evidence-based practices. Their commitment helps ensure our patients receive the right treatment as quickly as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes,” he added in the release.
National recognition for stroke care
“Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice earned the American Heart Association’s highest award for stroke care, the Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award,” which recognizes “sustained excellence in the rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients while consistently meeting or exceeding national quality measures,” the release points out.
Along with the Stroke Gold Plus designation, “the AHA gave both SMH campuses supplemental awards for providing additional layers of specialized care for stroke patients. Both campuses received the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus,” the release adds. That designation recognizes “hospitals that consistently provide rapid, evidence-based treatment to eligible stroke patients, helping reduce disability and improve recovery,” the release notes.
They also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll designation, which is awarded “hospitals that follow the latest treatment guidelines to optimize care for stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, a condition that can increase the risk of complications,” the release explains.
“Additionally, SMH-Sarasota earned Advanced Therapy – Honors for hospitals with expertise in delivering advanced stroke interventions, including specialized procedures for patients experiencing severe or complex strokes,” the release points out.
“These honors recognize the hospitals’ ability to rapidly deliver advanced stroke therapies and provide specialized care that improves outcomes for patients with Type 2 diabetes who experience a stroke,” the release says.
Excellence in life-saving resuscitation care
Further, the release continues, “Both SMH campuses earned the Get With The Guidelines® Resuscitation Gold Adult Achievement Award,” which recognizes the continued success of each “in providing rapid, evidence-based treatment for adults who experience cardiac arrest while hospitalized.
“In addition,” the release notes, “both hospitals received the supplemental Target: CPR Achievement Award and Target: Survival Award, recognizing their commitment to implementing the latest resuscitation science and achieving higher-than-expected survival rates for patients who experience an in-hospital cardiac arrest.”