Why are the American Heart Association and The Helmsley Charitable Trust focusing on quality care standards for stroke patients in post-acute settings?
Together the American Heart Association (AHA) and The Helmsley Charitable trust seek to standardize and increase the quality of care delivered to stroke survivors in post-acute care settings. Over 90% of stroke patients experience some form of disability, and more than 11% suffer a second stroke within a year. Targeted, high-quality post-stroke recovery, rehabilitation, and secondary prevention (hereafter abbreviated to post-acute care) interventions, customized to patient needs, have shown to dramatically improve recovery of function lost during the stroke and reduce the risk of secondary effects.
What is the goal of this initiative?
The aim of the Mission: Lifeline Stroke Post-Acute Care Initiative is to enhance guideline-based post-acute care for stroke patients across South Dakota in order to improve and prolong patient’s lives. This will be accomplished by assisting facilities to incorporate the AHA Post-Acute Stroke Program Standards. These standards address patient care guidelines, coordination of care, and timing of assessments and education. Participating facilities will provide feedback on the program standards and the feasibility of implementation, collaborate with the AHA and other participating facilities to elevate stroke care across the state, and document data in order to assess the program’s impact.
What is the post-acute care facility’s role and time commitment?
Post-acute care facilities in South Dakota will be invited to join this initiative, which will run through June 2027. Similar projects are in progress in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota. During this time, participating sites will be provided with informational resources and tools for success and partner with the AHA to implement and evaluate the AHA’s Post-Acute Program Standards.
The time and effort required to adopt the standards will vary from site to site. A gap analysis tool is available to assist facilities in making this determination. A representative from your facility will also participate in learning collaborative conference calls to inform process improvement around the post-acute care program standards. These meetings will vary in their frequency throughout the initiative but will most commonly be monthly.
What are the criteria to participate?
While many factors will determine the final makeup of the initiative, we are especially interested in the following facility characteristics:
- Provide short-stay stroke rehabilitation services at your facility.
- Agree to share information and data as part of this initiative.
- Have a desire to implement best practices, solutions to workflow gaps, and participate in the initiative learning collaborative.
What is the benefit to the post-acute care facility for participating?
Facilities will receive up to $10,000 per year for 3 years as a participation stipend. Other benefits include but are not limited to the following:
- Site-specific intensive quality improvement support throughout the entirety of this initiative.
- Working with leading national experts in neurology and stroke rehabilitation to build tools and share/create best practices to be disseminated coast-to-coast.
- Opportunities for statewide and national recognition as a leader in the field of post-acute stroke care.
- Increased collaboration between your facility and local and state system of care organizations and facilities, e.g., referring hospitals, local outpatient providers, etc.
Who should we contact to be considered for this initiative?
If your post-acute care facility is interested in being considered for this initiative, contact the following AHA representative and view the recorded webinar from October 16, 2024.
- Webinar Recording Passcode: @b62v7Cv
- Contact: Madeline Pawloski, MOT, OTR/L, BCP, MHA, Mission: Lifeline Quality Program Consultant, 402-312-6190, Madeline.Pawloski@heart.org
