Sparks receives stroke quality award

Sparks Health System in Fort Smith has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

The award recognizes the commitment and success of the Sparks Stroke Program in implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.

To receive this recognition, Sparks Health System has been shown to adhere to at least 85% of all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals. The Health System also must be in compliance with at least 75% of Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. The measures include aggressive use of medications, such as tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs and smoking cessation, all aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.

Through Get With The Guidelines-Stroke, customized education materials are made available to patients at the point of discharge, based on patients’ individual risk profiles. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.

Sparks Health System is ranked No. 1 in the state of Arkansas for stroke care medical excellence and patient safety by CareChex, a national quality rating service of The Delta Group. Also, Sparks Regional Medical Center is a Certified Primary Stroke Center and has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. Less than 1% of all hospitals in the United States have received this certification. Sparks is also designated a Top Stroke Center by the American Heart Association.