Main Line Health acute-care hospitals receive highest recognition for their commitment to providing high-quality stroke care

Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital honored by American Heart Association with Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus awards.

Bryn Mawr, PA — Main Line Health’s four acute-care hospitals have received the American Heart Association’s highest level of recognition for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital each received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for their dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

“This recognition is a tribute to the work of our excellent medical team in all of our hospitals and our ongoing efforts to deliver the highest quality care to our community,” said Jack Lynch, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Main Line Health. “Their dedication and skill are tremendous, and our patients reap the awards. Furthermore, we continue to take every opportunity to provide our team with cutting-edge technology to complement their clinical expertise.”

Paoli Hospital recently opened a state-of-the-art Neurointervention Lab that offers the most advanced diagnostics and treatments available for patients experiencing stroke. In collaboration with Jefferson Health Neurosurgery and Tele-Neurocritical Care Services, the lab provides leading neurointervention care in Chester County.

Through a collaboration between Main Line Health and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, Bryn Mawr Hospital is a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA), offering rapid access to advanced diagnostics and treatment in the community. The multidisciplinary team of specialists provides the complete continuum of postsurgical care.

Lankenau, Bryn Mawr and Paoli also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Elite award, with Bryn Mawr also obtaining the Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award. All four hospitals received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award.

“I couldn’t be prouder of every one of our expert team members,” said Michelle J. Smith, MD, FAANS, system division chief of neurosurgery at Main Line Health-Jefferson Neurosurgery and clinical associate professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Jefferson Health. “The goal is to provide time-sensitive treatment that allows our patients to have longer, healthier lives and avoid disability. Our team is dedicated every day to providing safe, equitable and high-quality care for all our patients.”

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Main Line Health’s acute-care hospitals’ commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”