The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus award for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and lifesaving care
FREMONT, CALIF.: Washington Health received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll quality achievement awards. These recognitions highlight Washington Health’s 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. Washington Health received full recertification of its Advanced Primary Stroke program in 2024. The Joint Commission noted the health system received the highest possible outcome upon awarding this distinction.
Washington Health also received the American Heart Association’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.
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 is 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.
“Washington Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Hartz. “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 the communities we serve 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 Washington Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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.”
About Washington Health
Washington Health is an independent, community-based health system governed by the publicly elected Washington Township Health Care District Board. Opened in 1958, Washington Health has grown to include a 415-bed acute care hospital; the Bell Neuroscience Institute of Silicon Valley; the Institute for Joint Restoration and Research; Washington Outpatient Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Rehabilitation Center; Washington Health Medical Group; and Washington West which houses the UCSF-Washington Cancer Center, Washington Women’s Center, Outpatient Imaging Center, and additional outpatient hospital services and administrative facilities. The health system continues to receive top-tier awards and distinctions for many programs and services, while advancing the level of medical care and treatment in Southern Alameda County. Discover more at washingtonhealth.com, and through Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Instagram.
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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
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