Provided by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) is honored to receive national recognition for excellence from American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, and the American College of Cardiology. The recent awards represent outstanding stroke and cardiovascular care provided by SNVMC.
“At Sentara, our mission is to improve health every day, and we are proud of our performance because it can mean better outcomes for our patients,” said Jeff Joyner, president of SNVMC. “The entire Sentara team here in Northern Virginia are dedicated to excellence and we are always working to raise the bar so that our community has confidence in the care they will receive at our medical center.”
SNVMC on Stroke Honor Roll
For providing excellent stroke care, ultimately leading to more lives saved and shorter recovery times, SNVMC has been honored with Gold Plus recognition from American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s joint “Get With the Guidelines” (GWTG) Awards.
GTWG recognizes hospitals committed to delivering the most appropriate treatment for stroke patients and meet certain criteria, including the time it takes to give “clot buster” medication to achieve the best outcomes. All 12 of Sentara’s hospitals received national recognition for excellent stroke care.
“If you are suffering a stroke, every second counts to save brain tissue and improve outcomes,” said Alexander Grunsfeld, MD, medical director for Sentara Neurosciences. “The goal is to begin treatment within 60 minutes of arrival to the hospital. Our honor roll hospitals meet that standard more than 85% of the time.”
According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death, and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain is interrupted, the blood vessel ruptures, or bleeding occurs in the brain. Within minutes, brain cells start dying. Fast diagnosis and treatment of a stroke is critical in saving as much brain function as possible.
“A stroke can be a life-changing medical event,” added Grunsfeld. “Early intervention is paramount to survive and thrive and Sentara hospitals are prepared around the clock every day.”
Cardiology Excellence
SNVMC received further recognition from the American College of Cardiology with the NCDR Chest Pain-MI Registry Performance Achievement Platinum Award and the Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) Mission Lifeline Silver Award for 2023.
Both awards recognize Sentara’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. Along with SNVMC, seven other Sentara hospitals received the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum award, the highest achievement, and only bestowed upon 262 hospitals nationwide. Each hospital reached an aggressive goal of treating patients with a standard level of care outlined by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
“This is an incredible recognition for Sentara to have our cardiac and emergency services team members recognized for the life-saving care they provide when patients are in their most vulnerable moments,” said Ashford Denman, Division Vice President of Cardiovascular Services at Sentara Health.” To see so many of our hospitals receive this honor reinforces our commitment at Sentara to provide high-level, quality care in every community we serve.”
To receive a Chest Pain – MI Registry Performance Achievement Award, hospitals must demonstrate sustained achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for at least four consecutive quarters and perform with distinction for specific performance measures. Sentara hospitals have continued to be recognized with this performance achievement award for the past 12 years.
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines.
Learn more about Sentara Neurosciences and the Heart Care Services available from Sentara.
