NEWS

New Brunswick, N.J. – August 27, 2024 – Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for 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. 

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. 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. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times. 

Get With The Guidelines puts 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 research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. 

“Saint Peter’s University Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Roger Behar, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Stroke Program at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work in the critical moments immediately after stroke symptoms appear, which studies show can help patients recover better while minimizing the potential for long-term disabilities that can result due to delay in treatment. The end goal is for us is to help people in the communities we serve experience longer, healthier lives.”  

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.  

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Saint Peter’s University Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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.” 

The acronym ‘BE FAST’ can help people remember what the initial signs of stroke may look like, says Maria Bartman, BSN, RN, CEN, SCRN, Saint Peter’s stroke coordinator:  

• B – Balance: Is the person having trouble with balance or coordination? 
• E – Eyes: Is the person experiencing blurred or double vision or a loss of vision? 
• F – Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. 
• A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Does one arm drift downward if the person raises their arms? 
• S – Speech Difficulty: Is the person’s speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The grass is green.” 
• T – Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms subside, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately. 

Saint Peter’s University Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. 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. 

Saint Peter’s University Hospital is designated a primary stroke center by the New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services and is certified as an advanced primary stroke center by The Joint Commission, demonstrating that the hospital has consistently met quality metrics and provided some of the best evidence-based care for its stroke patients. An advanced primary stroke center is the first line of defense in diagnosing and treating stroke and preventing or minimizing permanent brain damage to the patient. Saint Peter’s was also the first hospital in New Jersey to be recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System, implementing evidence-based interventions specifically designed to improve care for older adults across emergency departments, intensive care units, medical-surgical units, and primary and specialty care settings. 

About Saint Peter’s University Hospital 
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also state-designated children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600. 

About Get With The Guidelines® 

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.