MIDDLETOWN — Garnet Health recently earned multiple American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke awards for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and lifesaving care.

The American Heart Association recognized both Garnet Health Medical Center and Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills with its Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus award, an advanced level of recognition acknowledging hospitals for their compliance with the quality measures within the Get With The Guidelines® program.

Garnet Health Medical Center, home of the certified Primary Stroke Center, also received Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, which recognizes a hospital’s 60-minutes-or-less door-to-needle time for patients, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, which aims to ensure that patients with Type 2 diabetes receive up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized with cardiovascular disease or stroke. 

Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills was named to the Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, and also received a Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award, which recognizes efforts to address the unique health needs of rural communities.

“Garnet Health is proud to be recognized for the important work we do every day in Orange and Sullivan counties, providing advanced, evidence-based diagnosis and treatment to help reduce strokes and improve the lives of those affected by stroke, giving everyone the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Jonathan Schiller, president and CEO, Garnet Health. “Following the American Heart Association’s nationally recognized, research-based Get With The Guidelines® program makes it easier for our teams to reach our end goal—helping patients recover faster and better so they can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Get With The Guidelines® puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping to ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke is an in-hospital program that improves stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

Stroke is the fifth-leading 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 bursts or is blocked by a clot. 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.

“Wherever you live, speed is crucial to minimizing a stroke’s damage to the brain, and we are committed to stoke-care excellence within all the communities we serve,” Schiller said. 

Those who believe they are experiencing signs of a stroke should call 9-1-1 right away. Warning signs include difficulty speaking, facial drooping, intense headache, and/or weakness or numbness on one side of the body.

To learn more about stroke care at Garnet Health, visitgarnethealth.org/stroke.