Hendricks Regional Health Receives Five-Star Ratings
from Healthgrades for Treatment of Stroke and COPD

Danville, IN – Hendricks Regional Health is proud to announce it has received five-star ratings from Healthgrades for the quality of its treatment of Stroke and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is the first time the hospital has earned five stars for Stroke care, and the second consecutive year it has earned five stars for the treatment of COPD.

These achievements are part of new findings and data released today by Healthgrades and is featured in the Healthgrades 2017 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically between hospitals both nationally and regionally. This variation in care has a significant impact on health outcomes. A five-star rating demonstrates through quality data that Hendricks Regional Health achieves significantly better outcomes for patients when treated for the condition being evaluated.

“We are so pleased to see our stroke program rating rise to five stars, illustrating the collaboration and patient-centered approach of our entire team,” said Hendricks Regional Health President & CEO Kevin P. Speer. “Earning another five-star rating for 2017 is a testament to the safe and exceptional care that patients receive at Hendricks Regional Health.”

Stroke Program Earns First Five-Star Rating
As a Certified Primary Stroke Center, the hospital provides an experienced team available 24 hours a day to give immediate and critical care to stroke patients. The extensive work and education required for certification has led to outstanding benchmarks. For example, the hospital achieves an average “door-to-needle” time of 55.5 minutes. This measures the time it takes from a patient arriving at the Emergency Department with stroke symptoms to be evaluated and receive critical clot-busting medication. Providing this life-saving drug therapy within one hour of arrival provides patients the best possible prognosis for survival and avoiding long-term damage to their brain.

“After a stroke occurs, every passing minute can lead to brain loss,” said Jo Morton, Director of Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Hendricks Regional Health. “We constantly assess and evaluate our treatment protocols to see where we can do even better. As a team, we are relentless about getting the best possible outcomes for our patients. The five-star rating in addition to our certification is wonderful evidence of these efforts.”

The hospital has also focused on creating resources for recovery, like a special outpatient stroke clinic and support group, as well as initiatives to reduce the risk for future stroke.

Continued Excellence in the Treatment of COPD
This is the second year in a row Healthgrades has given Hendricks Regional Health five stars for its treatment of COPD. The hospital has implemented several gold standard practices to earn these accolades, including:

• Creating discharge practices to ensure patients leave the hospital with the information and tools they need to successfully manage their condition
• Fostering ongoing collaboration between pulmonary rehabilitation staff, respiratory therapists and other members of the care team
• Delivering evidence-based patient education through a standardized teaching checklist
• Launching a daily rounding program so that the entire care team can visit patients together to create better synergy around treatment planning and goals

Additionally, Hendricks Regional Health is one of only 15 hospitals nationwide to be recognized in the top five percent for nine years in a row for the 2016 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award.

“At Hendricks Regional Health, we share the belief that it isn’t just about the care we provide, but how we provide that care,” Speer said. “One of our core values is Empathy. To us, that means connecting with our patients, guiding them through their journey and anticipating what they need before they have to ask. We put our patients first because it’s how we would want our own loved ones to be treated.”

For its star ratings, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide, assessing hospital performance relative to each of 32 common conditions and procedures

“We have set out to achieve our vision to be the community’s indispensable healthcare partner,” Speer said. “We have helped set the bar high through our five-star quality ratings. Of the same token, we have continued our tradition of leading the nation for outstanding patient experience. When you bring it all together, it is the very definition of indispensable.”