Bronson Hospitals Earn American Heart Association Stroke Care Recognition | Bronson Healthcare

Bronson Hospitals Earn National Recognition for Stroke Care

Bronson Methodist Hospital receives Gold Plus recognition; Bronson Battle Creek Hospital earns Bronze in its first year participating

KALAMAZOO AND BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - Bronson Methodist Hospital and Bronson Battle Creek Hospital have earned national recognition from the American Heart Association for the care they provide to people experiencing a stroke.

The AHA Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke awards recognize hospitals that follow nationally recommended steps shown to improve care for stroke patients. These steps help care teams provide fast, consistent stroke diagnosis and treatment when every minute counts.

Bronson hospitals received the following recognition:

Bronson Methodist Hospital:

• Stroke Gold Plus for its commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, helping to save lives and reduce disability.
• Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus. 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, also known as clot-busting medication.
• Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy by meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.

Bronson Methodist Hospital has also maintained a strong record of stroke care recognition in recent years:

• Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus (2022, 2023, 2024)
• Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapy (2025, 2026)
• Advanced Therapy recognition was also earned with Elite Plus recognition in 2023.

Bronson Battle Creek Hospital:

• Stroke Bronze recognition for its commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, helping to save lives and reduce disability. This recognition marks a strong start for the hospital's stroke care work.
  
  

For patients and families, the recognition points to something important: Bronson teams are prepared to act quickly when stroke symptoms appear. Fast evaluation and treatment can help limit brain damage, reduce the chance of long-term disability and improve a patient's opportunity for recovery.

"These awards reflect the dedication and teamwork of our stroke leadership and care teams," said Katie Mann, director of practice operations for Neurosciences and Sleep Health at Bronson Healthcare. "Their work helps ensure patients receive timely, high-quality stroke care during the most critical moments following the onset of stroke."

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. It happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts. Quick recognition and treatment can improve survival and reduce long-term disability.

"This recognition reflects the strong teamwork behind our stroke care," said Martinson Arnan, MD, senior vice president and chief physician executive at Bronson Healthcare. "Bronson Battle Creek had a strong first year in the program, and Bronson Methodist continues to deliver elevated stroke care. Both achievements show how our teams work together to provide timely, coordinated care."

The awards reflect teamwork across the stroke care journey, including emergency services, radiology, nursing, physicians, quality and safety, pharmacy, rehabilitation and other clinical teams. These recognitions demonstrate Bronson's focus on strengthening stroke care across southwest Michigan, from emergency response through treatment, recovery and follow-up care.

"We are proud to recognize Bronson for its commitment to caring for people experiencing 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, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities."

Learn more about stroke care at Bronson at bronsonhealth.com/stroke.

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association'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 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org