Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast earns Primary Stroke Center Certification

The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, has certified Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast as a Primary Stroke Center for meeting the unique and specialized needs of patients who have suffered a stroke.

Primary Stroke Centers maintain stroke-specific infrastructure - acute stroke teams, care protocols and patient support systems - that reduce complications, increase survival and recovery rates, and improve long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction.

"When someone has a stroke, time is of the essence to ensure the best possible outcomes," said Trey Abshier, president and CEO of Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. "As the only hospital in Walton County, our team has taken important steps to provide access to life-saving care to everyone in our community and surrounding region."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 3 minutes and 14 seconds, someone dies due to a stroke. It is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability. In Walton County, nearly 5% of adults have had a stroke, which is more than 1% higher than the state level.1 From 2021-2023, nearly 650 people in Walton County were hospitalized due to a stroke.2

When someone suffers a stroke, there is a lack of blood flow to the brain, which deprives brain cells of oxygen. For every minute that passes while someone is having a stroke, 1.9 million brain cells are lost. That is why it's important to seek immediate medical attention if you or someone you know begins to experience stroke symptoms.

Patients who can benefit from a Primary Stroke Center include those suffering from:

• Ischemic strokes
• Large vessel occlusions
• Hemorrhagic strokes
• Strokes from unusual causes requiring specialized testing or interventional therapies

Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care for adults and children. Sacred Heart health system was recently named a top 15 health system in the country for 2024 by Fortune and PINC AI. The hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in the county for patient safety, experience, and satisfaction. It is a destination for specialty care including spine and joint replacement surgery, heart care, and cancer care. The hospital's Family Birth Place is recognized as one of the top maternity facilities in the country. To learn more visit ascension.org/EmeraldCoastFL.