Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham Is Nationally Recognized For its Commitment To Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

The American Heart Association Presents the Get With The Guidelines Award For Proven Dedication To Best Practices & Life-Saving Care

Needham, MA — Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham (BID Needham) has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines put 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 evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines program, BID Needham qualified for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.

“BID Needham is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our efforts in adhering and implementing the latest stroke treatment guidelines for the wellbeing of patients and their families,” said John M. Fogarty, president of BID Needham. “We applaud our staff for combining their expertise with these guidelines to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.”

This year, BID Needham received these achievement awards:

• Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus: Hospitals receiving Get With The Guidelines- Stroke Gold Plus achievement award have reached an aggressive goal of treating patients to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for 2 consecutive calendar years or more. In addition, those hospitals have demonstrated compliance to an additional level of quality during the 24-month or greater period.
• Target: Stroke Elite Award: To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.
• Target: Type 2 Diabetes: Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

“We are pleased to recognize Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham (BID Needham) is a licensed 73-bed acute care community hospital. BID Needham has served residents in Needham and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The hospital has been recognized by several organizations for quality and safety, including five-out-of-five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group, the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission and the 2019 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.