The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) recognized 40 hospitals, 45 ambulance services, one regional team, and four individuals for excellence in stroke patient care.
The hospital awards are based on stroke care performance as documented in the Arkansas Stroke Registry for July 2023 and June 2024 patient discharges. They are given to hospitals based on the following measures: defect-free stroke care, documentation of stroke bands, and door to CT times. Defect-free care is an aggregated metric based on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Coverdell metrics to ensure stroke patients receive appropriate care. Stroke bands allow for improved data collection for quality improvement and faster door to CT times improve the likelihood of better patient outcomes. To qualify for this award, a hospital must be designated through ADH or a national accreditation body.
The EMS awards are based on documentation of stroke bands as well as pre-notification. When hospital teams are alerted that a suspected stroke patient is en-route by EMS, this helps expedite the patient’s care upon arrival.
Regional recognition is awarded to those geographical areas in Arkansas in which healthcare teams demonstrate the highest level of performance for pre-notification, stroke band documentation, and door to CT times.
The transition of care award honors organizations or individuals for the exceptional work they did with stroke patients and/or their families as part of the transition of care for the patient.
“We commend our Arkansas healthcare providers for their dedication to excellence to stroke patient care and patient outcomes,” said Bala Simon, MD, DrPH, deputy chief medical officer and tate chronic disease director at Arkansas Department of Health.
Visit https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/arkansas-stroke-registry for a complete listing of all award winners.