Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1541944
16 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT Inside HCA's stroke pilot program By Paige Twenter N ashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, the nation's largest health system with 190 hospitals, improved stroke cause identification by 33% through a pilot program at 10 of its stroke centers. HCA launched the Getting to the Heart of Stroke initiative in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to improve stroke care, according to an Oct. 29 article from the American Medical Association. e project assembled cardiologists, neurologists and emergency medicine physicians to implement the American Heart Association's evidence-based standards and protocols on stroke care. e pilot was particularly effective at identifying the root cause of each patient's stroke, the AMA said. HCA Healthcare leaders attributed the pilot's success to breaking down silos across departments and implementing comprehensive in-hospital diagnostic testing and cardiac monitoring. HCA, which annually cares for more than 70,000 patients admitted for stroke, is expanding this pilot from 10 to all 43 of its comprehensive stroke centers. n University Health's salvage clinic reduces amputations By Mariah Taylor San Antonio-based University Health is working to reduce limb amputation with its new Limb Salvage Clinic. The clinic, located in its Texas Diabetes Institute, offers treatments for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, poorly controlled diabetes, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease or heart failure, according to an Oct. 2 system news release. Led by a cardiologist and podiatrist, the clinic aims to reduce the number of amputations for patients with diabetes. Diabetes damages the vascular system and can cause complications in a patient's heart and circulation. These issues can lead to infections and tissue damage, especially in the legs, where there might be reduced blood flow, and can lead to amputation. The clinic aims to change that by detecting and treating limb-threatening conditions early and addressing patients' overall cardiovascular risk. The program is expected to expand to University Health's Palo Alto (Texas) Hospital in 2027, the release said. n