earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.ĚýBefore discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“Tłó±đ is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Kerri Remmel, MD, PhD, medical director of the UofL Hospital – Comprehensive Stroke Center. “Tłó±đ tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

UofL Hospital additionally received the association’s Target: StrokeĚýElite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat .

“We are pleased to recognize UofL Hospital for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

The designation is available for all cancer types and various care settings, including physician groups, cancer centers, hospitals and accountable care organizations (ACOs).

The UofL Brown Cancer Center received the designation by incorporating patient-centered and data-driven practices to better coordinate cancer care and improve quality and safety under a value-based payment model. Blue Distinction Centers for Cancer Care are reimbursed based on how they perform against both quality and cost outcome targets in order to receive incentives and rewards for better health outcomes – rather than traditional fee-for-service. Research has shown that care delivery transformation to improve quality and affordability is most successful when accompanied by transformation to a value-based payment model.

“This designation attests to our daily dedication to providing the very best care for each of our patients and to achieving the best possible results,” said Jason Chesney, MD, PhD, director of the UofL Brown Cancer Center. “While outcomes are our greatest priority, we work hard to make sure the people we treat also have the best patient experience.”

“Cancer patients are unique, and so is the care that they receive,” said Jennifer Atkins, vice president of network solutions for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. “Cancer patients often receive different kinds of specialized care in multiple settings with perhaps surgery at a distant medical center but chemotherapy at a local hospital. Medical professionals and facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Cancer Care provide coordinated patient care and communication under a value based payment model.”

In 2018, the UofL Brown Cancer Center also received designation as a by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery and transplants while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver.Ěý