KGH becomes second acute-care hospital in Canada to achieve Accreditation Canada’s ‘Stroke Distinction’ designation.
Kingston General Hospital (KGH) has been recognized as having one of the top stroke programs in Canada after achieving the prestigious Stroke Services Distinction designation from Accreditation Canada.
KGH becomes the second acute-care hospital in Canada to succeed at attaining the award that distinguishes a health organization as being a national leader in the delivery of high-quality services in stroke care.
Only organizations that meet or exceed the highest standards of stroke care achieve Stroke Services Distinction. KGH achieved 95.7 per cent of the criteria used to evaluate stroke best-practice standards. Of the 93 standards it was assessed on, KGH met 89.
“To be awarded stroke distinction is recognition of an organization’s outstanding commitment to excellence and leadership in stroke services,” says Wendy Nicklin, President and CEO of Accreditation Canada.
Each year, approximately 500 people with stroke arrive at KGH. “Stroke devastates the brain within minutes so our highly skilled team move very quickly to start the therapies that patients are counting on us to deliver,” says Dr. Albert Yongwon Jin, Stroke Neurologist at KGH and Medical Leader of the Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario.
“It’s that team approach and dedication to patient care that creates a positive and lasting impact for our patients and their families. There are many highly skilled people involved, including stroke prevention services, pre-hospital treatment via Emergency Medical Services (EMS), our Emergency Department (ED), Critical Care and Acute Stroke Units and our rehabilitation providers and community supports,” says Jin.
KGH has become a national and provincial leader in all areas of acute stroke care. Life-saving ‘clot-busting’ drug ‘tissue plasminogen activator’ – or tPA – is delivered more quickly in KGH’s ED than in any other centre in Ontario. KGH is among the three fastest-treating centres for stroke in Canada.
KGH is also the top provincial performer when it comes to readmission rates for stroke patients. For every 100 people who come into KGH with a stroke, only 3.7 per cent are readmitted. That’s less than half the provincial benchmark of 8.0 per cent.
“To be recognized nationally as one of only two acute-care hospitals to achieve this award is an honour for everyone involved in stroke care and prevention. More than that, it is fantastic news for our patients,” says Richard Jewitt, Medicine Program Operational Director at KGH.
To achieve this designation, KGH underwent a rigorous on-site review by experts who have extensive experience in the field of stroke care. The voluntary assessment evaluates any gaps in care by delving deeply into every aspect of care.
“This recognition is affirmation of our commitment to providing patients with the highest levels of quality service in our region each and every single day,” says Leslee Thompson, President and CEO of KGH. “We are very proud".
