Washington Regional Recognized by Arkansas Department of Health for Excellence in Stroke Care
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) recently recognized Washington Regional Medical Center for adherence to defect-free stroke care measures with the highest achievement possible, a Diamond award. Washington Regional is the only hospital in Northwest Arkansas and one of only two Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Centers in the state to be recognized in the Diamond category.
The awards recognized 39 hospitals throughout the state and are based on stroke care performance as documented in the Arkansas Stroke Registry for patients discharged from July 2022 through June 2023. They are awarded in three categories to hospitals for adherence to defect-free stroke care:
- Diamond: 95%+
- Ruby: 90%-94.99%
- Pearl: 85%-89.99%
Defect-free care is an aggregated metric based on the ten American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Coverdell performance measures in the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Patient Management Tool. These measures are benchmarked according to the standards of evidence-based stroke care guidelines to ensure stroke patients receive appropriate and timely care.
Washington Regional also achieved recognition in the Ruby category for both stroke band documentation and door-to-CT times. Stroke band documentation facilitates improved data collection for quality improvement while faster door-to-CT times improve the likelihood of positive patient outcomes. The Ruby category was the highest award given for door-to-CT times, and Washington Regional was the only hospital in the state to earn the designation.
“During a stroke, every minute matters because time lost is brain lost,” said Dr. David Ratcliff, chief medical officer. “As the region’s only Joint Commission designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, and the state’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center outside of Little Rock, Washington Regional is prepared to treat even the most complex cases with 24/7 in- person care from stroke experts. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and Washington Regional’s stroke program is making incredible advances in improving outcomes for patients with stroke.”