PeaceHealth Southwest honored with two American Stroke Association awards

Presentation of award will take place during Wednesday ceremony

VANCOUVER — The American Stroke Association (ASA) will present PeaceHealth Southwest with two national awards during a ceremony Wed., May 23, at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

PeaceHealth Southwest earned the awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients, with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

Event Details:

When: Wed., May 23, 3 p.m.

Where: PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center – Firstenburg Tower Lobby
400 NE Mother Joseph Place, Vancouver

The presentation of the Silver Plus Award is open to the public. For more information about the Stroke Program at PeaceHealth Southwest, visit: https://www.peacehealth.org/southwest/services/stroke-center

The ASA Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award recognizes PeaceHealth Southwest for achieving specific stroke care quality measures for 12 consecutive months. The ASA Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll Award recognizes success in reducing the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-dissolving medication tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) – the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

“We are pleased to recognize PeaceHealth Southwest for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, national chair of the Get With The Guidlelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “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 fifth leading cause of death in our country,” said Louise Jenkins, manager of PeaceHealth Southwest’s Stroke Program. “Recognition from the American Stroke Association is a wonderful acknowledgement of the great stroke care we are providing our community. Our team has worked to increase the speed and quality of care for patients suffering stroke symptoms, along with enhancing care during the rehabilitation process. It’s great to be able to share this award with our community.”

The awards will be presented by Elizabeth Peterson, ASA Regional Director, Quality & Systems Improvement.

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is a community-owned, not-for-profit, 450-bed, medical institution located in Vancouver. Repeatedly recognized nationally as a 100 Top Hospital, PeaceHealth Southwest provides a full range of outpatient and inpatient diagnostic, medical, and surgical services to Clark County residents.

PeaceHealth Southwest is also one of Clark County’s largest employers with 3,400 employees and 600 active medical staff members that help support dozens of medical specialty services and programs, including cancer, heart, emergency, trauma, neuro-musculoskeletal, family birth, and primary care.

For more information visit http://www.peacehealth.org/southwest.