3 Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Medical Centers Honored For Commitment to Cardiovascular Care

Straub Medical Center in Honolulu, which has a clinic in Hilo, is one of three Hawai‘i Pacific Health medical centers to receive the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke quality achievement award.

Pali Momi Medical Center in West O‘ahu and Wilcox Medical Center in Līhuʻe also received the award.

The award honors the medical centers’ commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, which ultimately leads to more lives saved and reduced disability.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Pali Momi, Straub and Wilcox medical centers for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” Dr. Steven Messe, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group, said in a press release. “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 Get With The Guidelines program puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide. 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.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

“Hawaiʻi Pacific Health’s medical centers, including Pali Momi and Straub, are committed to improving patient care,” David Underriner, Hawai’i Pacific Health’s executive vice president of Oʻahu operations, said in the press release. “This includes making sure our team is always well-trained in the latest treatment guidelines, which studies show can help patients recover better.”

Program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization is committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“The end goal is to ensure more people on Kauaʻi and across Hawaiʻi can experience longer, healthier lives,” Jen Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and CEO for Kauaʻi Medical Clinic, said in the press release. “This Get With The Guidelines recognition is an honor. It reinforces the dedication of our team to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis.”

All three of the medical centers also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite recognition. To qualify, health care facilities must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.

Pali Momi, Straub and Wilcox also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. The program 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 because of stroke.