St. Luke’s University Health Network once again has been honored by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for its exceptional work in stroke care, earning numerous 2024 Get with The Guidelines awards.

The GWTG awards recognize SLUHN’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

“These awards recognize the high-quality stroke care each hospital provides for its community,” said Daniel Ackerman, MD, FAAN, interim chief of Neurology and director of Stroke and Vascular Neurology at St. Luke’s University Health Network.

The 2024 GWTG award recognition earned by SLUHN hospitals include:

• Stroke Gold Plus – Hospitals are recognized for two or more consecutive calendar years of 85% or higher adherence on all achievement measures applicable and 75% or higher adherence with additional select quality measures in stroke.

• Stroke Silver Plus – Hospitals are recognized for one calendar year of 85% or higher adherence on all achievement measures applicable and 75% or higher adherence with additional select quality measures in stroke.

• Target: Stroke Honor Roll – Hospitals are recognized for 75% of applicable patients experiencing door-to-needle times of 60 minutes or less.

• Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite – Hospitals are recognized for 85% of applicable patients experiencing door-to-needle times of 60 minutes or less.

• Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus – Hospitals are recognized for 75% of applicable patients experiencing door-to-needle times of 45 minutes or less and 50% of applicable patients experiencing door-to-needle times of 30 minutes or less. • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy – Hospitals are recognized for 50% of applicable patients experiencing door-to-device times of 90 minutes or less for direct-arriving patients and 60 minutes or less for transfer patients (within six hours or 24 hours).

• Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll – Hospitals are recognized for an overall diabetes cardiovascular initiative composite score criteria greater than or equal to 80% compliance for 12 consecutive months (calendar year).

Hospitals honored include:

• St. Luke’s Allentown, Anderson, Carbon, Miners, Monroe, Upper Bucks and Warren campuses, Stroke gold plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• St. Luke’s University Hospital-Bethlehem – Stroke gold plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• St. Luke’s Easton Campus – silver plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital – Stroke gold plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus – Stroke gold plus.

“Stroke care is a complicated process and requires a team approach because every second matters,” Ackerman said. “Since stroke care starts at home when families or friends recognize symptoms, St. Luke’s takes every opportunity to provide community education. We have also forged strong partnerships with our local EMS and first responders, who are often the first medical personnel who see a patient and can begin appropriate care.

“At St. Luke’s hospitals, everyone is involved, from emergency department providers to the nursing staff, our radiology technologists and physicians, and our amazing registrars. They are all integral parts of providing the kind of rapid and coordinated effort that has continually earned us top honors as a stroke team.”