The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognize this hospital for achieving ≥85% compliance with all Get With The Guidelines(GWTG)-Stroke Achievement Measures and achieving ≥75% compliance with 5 or more GWTG-Stroke Quality Measures for more than 2 consecutive 12-month periods.
Sinai Hospital also qualified for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus award because it reduced the time between patients' arrival at the hospital and their treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) altepase, the only drug approved by the US FDA to treat ischemic stroke. Sinai achieved door-to-needle (DTN) time of ≤60 min in 75% of eligible patients and DTN time of ≤45 min in 50% of eligible patients to improve quality of patient care and patient outcomes.
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability
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Stroke is the third leading cause of death in United States.
275,000 people die annually from stroke; every 3.1 minutes someone dies of a stroke.
Stroke incidence is rising (related to aging population and lifestyle).
700,000 people affected annually with new or recurrent stroke.
On average, every 45 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke.
Stroke is the #1 cause of disability in United States.
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Source: AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics
To provide the best possible care and best outcomes, LifeBridge Health has established a dedicated Stroke Center. The objective of the Stroke Center is to decrease complications from the disease while increasing the efficiency of necessary care. Stroke patients require special attention and testing, especially because the first hours after a stroke are so crucial. Stroke patients frequently have multiple associated comorbidities that require continuous medical attention to reduce their risks for future stroke. The center's streamlined system allows patients to benefit from quicker treatment and discharge to a rehabilitation program, all at a lower cost. Dedicated stroke units such as this are associated with decreased mortality, death, dependency, institutionalization and length of stay.
The Stroke Center at Sinai is certified by The Joint Commission (national) and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services (state) as a Primary Stroke Center, signifying that it meets the highest national standards and has the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. It also means that community hospitals without services for stroke care transport patients to Sinai, depending on the needs of the patient.When time permits, the Emergency Medical System (EMS) take patients both within and outside of Sinai's service area directly to Sinai because of its recognized program.
The Stroke Center of Excellence includes the following components:
- Focused, multidisciplinary stroke team to ensure that appropriate protocols are employed to support early diagnosis and optimal intervention
- Highly qualified neurologists and surgeons who provide 24/7 coverage
- Specialized acute care delivered by stroke specialists during the critical early recovery stage
- Use of advanced interventional approaches that incorporate leading-edge technologies to support improved outcomes
- Participation in clinical research trials to support early adoption of promising stroke technologies and clinical practices
- Formalized screening and education programs that raise awareness of stroke
- Integrated rehabilitation program that provides customized patient support and increases compliance with preventive therapies
- Quality improvement program
In 2014 and 2015, Sinai and Northwest hospitals were both honored with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for outstanding and consistent performance within the Associations’ national Get with the Guidelines Stroke Achievement Measures. The Associations also named both hospitals to their Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus for their efforts to reduce door-to-needle times.
Carroll Hospital received the 2014 Get With the Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS)
The LifeBridge Health Stroke Team
Adrian J. Goldszmidt, M.D.
Dr. Goldszmidt is chief of the Department of Neurology at Sinai Hospital. Dr. Goldszmidt also directs the Headache Program at LifeBridge Health.
Carsten H. Ritter, M.D.
Dr. Ritter is a vascular neurologist in the Department of Neurology and directs the Stroke Program at LifeBridge Health.
William W. Ashley, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.N.S.
Dr. Ashley, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon and is the director of Cerebrovascular, Endovascular, & Skull Base Neurosurgery at LifeBridge Health. he is also chief of the Division of Neurointerventional Radiology in the Department of Radiology.
Chandresh A. Shelat, M.D.
Dr. Shelat is an attending physician in the Emergency Department at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
Jennifer L. Berkeley, M.D.,Ph.D.
Dr. Berkeley is a neurocritical care specialist and director of Neurocritical Care at LifeBridge Health.
Linda Toral, B.S.N., R.N., C.N.R.N., S.C.R.N.
Linda Toral is the manager of the NeuroRescue Network for LifeBridge Health.