Pardee recognized for providing high-quality cardiovascular care

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For the fifth consecutive year, UNC Health Pardee has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines GoldPlus – Stroke 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.

Pardee was also awarded the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, which aims to ensure patients with type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized with cardiovascular disease or stroke. “If you have diabetes, your chances of having a stroke are 1.5 times higher than in people who don’t have diabetes,” said Dr. Joel Callahan, medical director, Pardee Neurology Associates.

“A person suffering from a stroke only has four and a half hours from the time of onset of signs or symptoms to receive clot-busting medications, like tPA, which dramatically help their chances of survival,” Callahan said. He explained that tPA works by dissolving blood clots that block blood flow to the brain, giving patients a higher chance of survival and preventing any neurological deficits.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. 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.

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.

UNC Health Pardee is a not-for-profit community healthcare system managed by UNC Health. For more information or to find a physician, visit www.pardeehospital.org.

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