UF Health Flagler Hospital Earns National Recognition for Excellence in Stroke Care

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — UF Health Flagler Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award 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.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major contributor to long-term disability. It happens when a blood vessel supplying oxygen and nutrients to the brain becomes blocked or bursts. This interruption prevents part of the brain from receiving the vital blood flow it needs, causing brain cells to 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.

UF Health Flagler Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award, which aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

“At UF Health, we are dedicated to advancing patient care by following the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment protocols,” said Patrick L. Green, FACHE, UF Health senior vice president and Northeast Florida regional president. “The Get With The Guidelines program helps our care teams consistently apply best practices that have been shown to improve recovery outcomes. Ultimately, our goal is to help more people across Northeast Florida live longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, organizations earn this recognition by demonstrating a strong commitment to delivering high-quality stroke care. Beyond adhering to evidence-based treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also empower patients through education, equipping them to manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize UF Health 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.”
 

About UF Health

UF Health is a world-class academic health center that combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with outstanding clinical care at a network of hospitals throughout the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital, part of Florida’s preeminent health system.

With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville as well as satellite sites in Central Florida, St. Johns County and several other locations, UF Health provides quality health care to patients across the nation’s third-most populous state. UF Health consists of six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, 12 hospitals — including two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals — and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services.

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.