Pottstown Hospital recognized with award, accreditation
POTTSTOWN » Pottstown Hospital has recently been recognized by two national organizations.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has presented Pottstown Hospital with its Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for the hospital’s treatment of stroke patients.
In addition, the hospital has been awarded a threeyear term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.
Award
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award recognizes the hospital’s efforts to ensure stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, researchbased guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
To earn the award, Pottstown Hospital had to meet specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period, according to a press release.
Among the measures were: evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidencebased guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.
“We are pleased to recognize Pottstown Hospital for their commitment to stroke care,” Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines steering committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada said in the release. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
For more information about the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines program visit heart.org.
MRI Accreditation
The American College of Radiology gold seal of accreditation is awarded to facilities that meet American College of Radiology practice parameters and technical standards, after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, according to the release. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed.
Once the assessment is complete, the American College of Radiology Committee on Accreditation provides the hospital with
a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement, according to the release.
MRI is a noninvasive medical test that uses magnetic fields to produce images of internal body parts to help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
For more information about Pottstown Hospital visit www.towerhealth.org