Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center once again received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Quality Achievement Award. This recognition acknowledges the team’s 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 number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability nationwide. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel is either blocked by a clot or bursts. On average, someone in the US suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

“St. Rita’s continues to invest in our community by bringing the highest quality neurology services to the region. I am so proud of this St. Rita’s team that once again has been recognized by the American Heart Association for their commitment to helping stroke patients,” said Lisa Rampe, director of neuroscience and rehabilitation at St. Rita’s Medical Center. “Stroke can be devastating for the patient and for those around them. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke helps our team put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for these patients.”

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.

Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, St. Rita’s Medical Center also provides education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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.”

Additionally, St. Rita’s Medical Center) received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.” 

St. Rita’s has continued to invest in high-quality stroke care in our community, including the recent announcement of an affiliation with Arubah Neuroscience Institute, PLLC, to provide advanced interventional and vascular neurology care. The team is highly trained in intensive neuroscience critical care and minimally invasive interventional treatment for stroke (thrombectomy), brain aneurysms and arterio-venous malformation (embolization) and carotid (stenting) as well as several other vascular diseases impacting the head and neck. 

Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Neuroscience and Rehabilitation is located at 770 West High Street, Suite 160, Lima, Ohio 45801. For more information visit mercy.com or call 419-996-4099 to make an appointment.