Two Tanner Health Hospitals Earn National Recognition for Exceptional Stroke Care

Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton has received the American Heart Association's (AHA) Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica has received the AHA's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Silver Plus quality achievement award.

These awards celebrate the care teams at both facilities for their 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.

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 AHA and American Stroke Association (ASA) 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.

"Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica are both equally committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines," said Joe Bradley, stroke system telehealth coordinator for Tanner Health. "Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in our region can experience longer, healthier lives."

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 Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica for their commitment to caring for patients who suffer from a stroke," said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chair of the AHA 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 healthcare systems, families and communities."

Beyond its Gold Plus honor, which demonstrates an improvement since last year's Silver Plus title, Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton also received AHA's Target: Stroke Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

Likewise, Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica also received the AHA's Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Get With The Guidelines is the AHA/ASA's hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.