Saint Elizabeth Recognized for Commitment to Quality Care for Stroke Patients

Lincoln, Neb. - Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center has received the highest level of recognition from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. They were awarded the Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, and they are the only hospital in the state to be recognized as a recipient of the association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll.

Stroke is the fourth highest cause of death in the United States. The American Stroke Association estimates that nearly 800,000 people will suffer a new or recurrent stroke this year. Both awards demonstrate the ability of the Saint Elizabeth team to be ready at any time to treat stroke patients as quickly as possible.

“With a stroke, every minute counts. I am proud of our team for achieving this honor. The Stroke Gold Plus award is a true testament to our commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care,” says Libby Raetz, Vice President, Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer of Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center.

To receive the Stroke Gold Plus award, Saint Elizabeth achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for 2 or more consecutive 12-month intervals. Saint Elizabeth also achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with 6 of 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. These measures include use of medications to reduce death and disability and improve the lives of stroke patients.           

The prestigious Target: Stroke Honor Roll award demonstrates the ability of the Saint Elizabeth team to provide stroke patients with tPA within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital. tPA is a drug which has been proven to significantly reverse the effects of a stroke and reduce permanent disability. Over the past quarter, at least 50 percent of Saint Elizabeth eligible ischemic stroke patients received tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital (known as ‘door-to-needle’ time).

“Saint Elizabeth has worked extremely hard to decrease the amount of time that it takes for eligible stroke patients to receive tPA. It is truly a team effort,” shares Beth Malina, Stroke Program Coordinator. “Receiving this award is very gratifying. We are improving outcomes for stroke patients and making a difference in their lives.”

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About Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center
Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, founded more than 120 years ago, is a full-service, 260-bed nonprofit regional medical center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Since 2004, Saint Elizabeth has been recognized as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Saint Elizabeth is guided by its core values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence to devote funding and resources to programs and services that benefit their patients as well as the health of the greater community. Saint Elizabeth is part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI).

About Catholic Health Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 76 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; two community health-services organizations; two accredited nursing colleges; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2011, CHI provided more than $612 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. For more information, visit www.catholichealthinitiatives.org.