HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital becomes a state recognized Coverdell Stroke Champion
Eau Claire, WI – HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital was recently recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s Coverdell Stroke Program for becoming a Coverdell Stroke Champion.
As a Coverdell Stroke Champion, the hospital continues to implement stroke quality improvement and work with emergency medical service to improve transitions of care, while sharing data and practices to improve stroke care throughout the nation.
In 2001, Congress directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement state-based registries that measure, track and improve the delivery and quality of stroke care. The registry was named the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry after the late U.S. Senator who suffered a fatal stroke in 2000. In 2012, the Wisconsin Department of Health services became one of 11 states funded to participate in Coverdell Stroke Program. The objective of the program is to assist hospitals and emergency medical services providers in their mission to provide the highest standard of stroke care for all residents.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
“Hospitals that have coordinated with community-based efforts have shown a reduction in re-hospitalization rates,” says Jeannie Pittenger, RN, MSN, CNRN, stroke program coordinator at Sacred Heart Hospital. “With a stroke, time lost is brain lost. This recognition demonstrates our commitment to stroke care coordination. From onset of symptoms to rehabilitation and prevention of subsequent stroke, we are committed to providing the highest level of stroke care to people in our region.”
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About HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is an affiliate of the Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889 it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition. For more information about HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, visit www.sacredhearteauclaire.org.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 14 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Belleville, Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Highland, Litchfield, Springfield and Streator) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visitwww.hospitalsisters.org.
