Montclair Hospital Earns Award For Treating Stroke Patients

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair recently earned recognition from the American Heart Association for treating patients who have suffered strokes.

The hospital received the association’s “Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus” award, which recognizes its “its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines – ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.”

According to Mountainside administrators, 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.

Stroke is the fifth-most leading cause of death in the U.S., and is also a leading cause of disabilities. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times, administrators said.

Mountainside administrators said the hospital earned two distinctions from the American Heart Association:

Mountainside has received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll award. This recognition is awarded to hospitals that meet specific criteria aimed at reducing the time between an eligible patient’s arrival and their treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

Additionally, Mountainside has been honored with the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. This program focuses on ensuring that patients with Type 2 diabetes, who are at higher risk for complications, receive the most current, evidence-based care during stroke-related hospitalizations.

“Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better,” said Tim O’Brien, chief executive officer at Mountainside Medical Center.

“The end goal is to ensure more people in our community can experience longer, healthier lives,” O’Brien said.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Mountainside for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, 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,” Messe said.

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