The hospital was awarded the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines- Stroke GOLD PLUS award for ensuring stroke patients have access to life-saving care.

Sharon Regional Medical Center has achieved 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 and a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. 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 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 with 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.

“Sharon Regional Medical Center is committed to providing the highest quality of stroke care to patients by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Nicholas Abbott, DO, Chief Medical Office at Sharon Regional Medical Center. “Get With the Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work daily, which studies show can help patients recover better and faster. The end goal is to ensure more people in the Shenango Valley and surrounding areas can live longer, healthier lives” said Abbott.

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 Sharon Regional Medical Center 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.

Sharon Regional Medical Center also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 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.

Sharon Regional Medical Center is a Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Center, specializing in the rapid treatment of stroke patients. As a Primary Stroke Center, Sharon Regional has demonstrated expertise in the early assessment, rapid diagnosis, and treatment of stroke emergencies.

To learn more about Sharon Regional’s certified Stroke Program, visit sharonregionalmedical.org.