St. A’s stroke care receives prestigious award
DENVER – St. Anthony Central Hospital again been recognized for outstanding is a recipient of the 2010 Stroke Care Excellence Award™ from HealthGrades, the leading independent health care ratings company, the hospital announced Tuesday.
The announcement marks the second consecutive year that St. Anthony Central Hospital has achieved HealthGrades’ recognition, which places the facility among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for the clinical outcome of treatment given to patients suffering from a stroke.
St. Anthony Central Hospital also tops the ranks of Colorado hospitals in treatment of stroke patients.
In 2009, the hospital was recognized as a Gold Award facility by the American Heart Association’s Get-With-The-Guidelines program for stroke care. Then AHA award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate compliance in seven key quality measures over a consistent time period for treatment of stroke patients.
The hospital also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission recognizing their efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care patients. Achievement of this certification means the facility offers the elements needed to effectively meet the specialized care needs of the patients they serve.
“These awards and national recognition are a testament to the excellent work and dedication of our physicians and associates who are committed to delivering a level of quality of care that is second to none,” said Peter Makowski, president & CEO of St. Anthony Central Hospital.
St. Anthony Central Hospital has one of the only patient units to dedicated solely to the care of stroke patients along the Front Range and offers “high quality rehabilitation services to ensure these patients quickly work to regain as much quality of life functioning as possible,” hospital spokeswoman Bev Lilly said in a statement announcing Monday’s award.
HealthGrades rates hospital services ratings to help consumers make informed decisions about their health care choices.
“These clinical distinctions mean that patients and their families can feel confident that they are receiving care from one of the best stroke care centers in the nation,” Lilly said.
HealthGrades independently and objectively grades the performance of virtually every hospital in the United States engaged in caring for stroke patients. Using a risk-adjustment model that accounts for the variations in illness of patients cared for by different hospitals. The organization compares the quality of care of 5,000 hospitals using clinical indicators, based on the most recent three years of Medicare hospital data available.
Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 140,000 citizens annually. In Colorado, strokes are the 5th leading cause of death for citizens, killing nearly 2,000 in 2006.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of a person’s brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts, causing damage to a part of the brain.
Strokes can cause significant disabilities, including paralysis and speech and emotional problems, among those who survive them.
New treatments can reduce the damage caused by a stroke, but the treatments must be administered quickly after symptoms start.
Two physician groups, NeuroSpecialty Associates and InterMountain Neurosurgery & Neuroscience, contribute to the Five-Star rated quality of care provided at St. Anthony, Lilly said.
On its Web site, HealthGrades rates 27 procedures and treatments for virtually every hospital in the country. The Web site is designed so that consumers can easily compare patient outcomes at their local hospitals for procedures ranging from aortic aneurysm repair to bypass surgery. Each hospital receives a star rating based on its patient outcomes in terms of mortality or complication rates for each procedure or treatment. Hospitals with outcomes that are above average to a statistically significant degree receive a five-star rating. Hospitals with average outcomes receive a three-star rating, and hospitals with outcomes that are below average receive a one-star rating.
St. Anthony Central Hospital is part of Centura Health, which operates 12 hospitals, seven senior residences, medical clinics and home care and hospice services across Colorado. It is building a new hospital and medical campus in Lakewood.
For more information on St. Anthony Central Hospital, please visit www.stanthonyhosp.org.
