Huntington Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care

Huntington 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. 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 nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, which leads to more lives saved and reduced disability.

"Once again, we are proud to be recognized for stroke care by the American Heart Association," said Arbi Ohanian, MD, medical director of the comprehensive stroke program at Huntington Hospital. "Huntington Hospital provides safe, lifesaving care for hundreds of stroke patients, every year. AHA's Get With The Guidelines program allows us to quickly treat patients with quality, higher-level interventions and makes it easier for our dedicated team 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 San Gabriel Valley can experience longer, healthier lives."

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times. Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization is committed to providing quality care for stroke patients and improving stroke care by consistently adhering to the guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

Huntington also received the American Heart Association's Target: Stroke^SM Elite Honor Roll award for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

Additionally, Huntington received the American Heart Association's Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ 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.

"We are incredibly pleased to recognize Huntington Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke," said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "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."

To read more about stroke care and prevention, go to: At risk for stroke? Here's what you need to know. | Huntington Hospital (huntingtonhealth.org)