Press Releases: Hawaii
July 14, 2009
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Receives American Stroke Association’s ‘Get With the Guidelines’ Gold Performance Achievement Award
Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center Only One of Three Hospitals in Hawaii to Receive Award
HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente Hawaii’s Moanalua Medical Center recently received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Kaiser Permanente’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment for at least 24 months, according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG–Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Chief of Neurosciences Sharin Sakurai, MD, Ph.D. Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologistsavailable to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.
To receive the GWTG-Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award, Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center demonstrated 85 percent adherence in the GWTG–Stroke key measures for 24 or more consecutive months. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs, and smoking cessation.
“The American Stroke Association commends Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national Get With The Guidelines steering committee member and director of the acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”
GWTG–Stroke uses the “teachable moment,” the time soon after a patient has had a stroke, when they are most likely to listen to and follow their health care professionals’ guidance. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke. Through GWTG–Stroke, customized patient education materials are made available at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. The take-away materials are written in an easy-to-understand format and are available in English and Spanish. In addition, the Get With The Guidelines Patient Management Tool (powered by Outcomes, Inc.) provides access to up-to-date cardiovascular and stroke science at the point of care.
“Kaiser Permanente is focused on improving the quality of stroke care by implementing GWTG–Stroke. The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population,” said Dr. Sakurai.
According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke — 610,000 are first attacks and 185,000 are recurrent. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States is suffering from a stroke. This condition accounts for 1 out of every 18 deaths in the United States.
About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years. Today it has the state's largest medical group, with over 410 physicians supported by 4,400 nurses and staff. Care for members is focused on their total health guided by our personal physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert care and medical teams are supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information.
