The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines-Stroke GoldPlus award for commitment to prioritizing
FLORENCE-On Wednesday, April 13, the American Heart Association celebrated with hospitals around the county by presenting the 2021 Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Awards. North Alabama Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-todate, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.
“North Alabama Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival and after a stroke,” said Russell Pigg, CEO at NAMC. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
Each year program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.
“We are pleased to recognize North Alabama Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee
Schwamm, M.D., national member and past chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee for the
American Heart Association and neurologist, vice president of telehealth for Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
Media Release/Randa Hovater/Director, Communications and Marketing/North Alabama Medical Center
