Aspirus Langlade Hospital receives Transitions of Care: ED Visit and Readmission Rate Awards

Aspirus Langlade Hospital receives Transitions of Care: ED Visit and Readmission Rate Awards from the Wisconsin Stroke Coalition relating to Stroke Systems of Care.

The Annual Performance Awards are an opportunity for the Wisconsin Stroke Coalition to recognize excellence in Stroke Systems of Care over the past year. Both awards that Aspirus Langlade Hospital received are from the Post Hospital Discharge category with Aspirus Langlade categorized as a small hospital with less than 110 beds. The award for Emergency Department (ED) Visits is given to the small-medium and large hospital with the lowest stroke ED Visits percentage. The award for Readmission is given to the small-medium and large hospital with the lowest stroke readmission percentage. Both percentages are within 30 days post-discharge.

“We are so thrilled to recognize the hard work of our stroke team members at Aspirus Langlade Hospital and Clinics who are receiving these two awards for Stroke Care. These awards demonstrate the commitment of our staff and medical providers to our community to foster continuous improvement in patient safety and high quality of care.” Said Sherry Bunten, President of Aspirus Langlade Hospital.

Eligibility for the Post Hospital Discharge awards comes from data entered from October 2020 through September 2021 by all participating WI Coverdell Champion Hospitals into the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Post Discharge and Readmissions system.

“As a rural hospital we are proud to serve our community by delivering established evidence-based care,” said Cathy Connor, Director, Emergency Services at Aspirus Langlade Hospital. “These awards reflect the dedication and commitment to patient care by the members of our stroke team.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded stroke quality improvement initiatives since 2001, providing competitive grants to state health departments to support the development of stroke systems of care. This funding is called the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Prevention Program (Coverdell), named after Georgia Senator Paul Coverdell who suffered and died of a stroke while serving in Congress.

In 2021, Wisconsin was one of thirteen states to receive funding in the latest iteration of the Coverdell grant program, extending Wisconsin’s ongoing participation in Coverdell since 2012. During this three-year Coverdell grant period, the focus will be to demonstrate improvement across stroke systems of care—from EMS response to inpatient care to post-discharge care and rehabilitation. The program will also work with hospitals and health systems to link and monitor patient‐level data across the continuum of care.

All Wisconsin hospitals are invited to be part of the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program. The aim of the program is to support the implementation of comprehensive stroke systems for individuals at highest risk for stroke events and to improve the quality of care for stroke patients across the continuum of care.

Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Use BE FAST to recognize sign of a stroke. Balance, Eyes, Face drooping or numbness, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Terrible headache. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of a stroke call 911 for emergency assistance. 

Source: Coverdell Stroke Program in WI www.coverdellwi.org.