ARMC recognized with national awards for commitment to patient care

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) 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. ARMC was also honored with the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognitions.

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.

“ARMC is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said ARMC CEO Andrew Goldfrach, FACHE. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work daily, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in San Bernardino County can 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 ARMC for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., 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.

For ARMC to have qualified for the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Elite Plus Honor Roll award,it met specific criteria that reduced the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

ARMC 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.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the California Department of Public Health, operated by San Bernardino County, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care.

The hospital, located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, California, operates the Edward G. Hirschman Regional Burn Center, the Dev A. GnanaDev Level I Trauma Center, a comprehensive stroke center, a behavioral health center, and five primary care centers. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services.

ARMC is helping to achieve the Countywide Vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs.

ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The university welcomed its first class of students in 2018.

For more information on CUSM, visit https://cusm.edu/. For more information about ARMC, visit https://www.arrowheadregional.org/. You can also watch this video to learn more about ARMC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbqv6Ef7qfg

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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

Additional County Update News – July 18, 2024