Mission Hospital nationally recognized for commitment to providing high-quality stroke care
Asheville, N.C. — HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke GOLD PLUS quality achievement awards for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“We are incredibly proud of our dedicated team at Mission Hospital for once again being nationally recognized for their unwavering commitment to delivering world-class stroke care,” said Greg Lowe, CEO of Mission Health and Mission Hospital. “These distinctions from the American Heart Association reinforce that our community can continue to count on Mission Hospital for advanced therapies, and the highest quality evidence-based care that saves lives and supports positive outcomes.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Mission Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Mission Hospital earned three additional awards from the American Heart Association for excellence in stroke care. These include the Target: Stroke SM Honor Roll Elite Plus award, recognizing hospitals that significantly reduce the time to administer thrombolytic therapy, and the Target: Stroke SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award, given for minimizing the time to treat stroke patients with clot-removal procedures. Additionally, the hospital received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award for providing the latest evidence-based care to stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, a group at higher risk for complications.