EvergreenHealth, EvergreenHealth Monroe Nationally Recognized For Stroke, Diabetes Care
The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke GoldPlus award for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care.
KIRKLAND, Wash. — EvergreenHealth Kirkland has once again received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke GoldPlus quality achievement award, recognizing its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment. EvergreenHealth Monroe also received the American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines 2025 Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Center Gold Award and the Stroke Silver Plus Award.
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 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.
"EvergreenHealth's Comprehensive Stroke Center is committed to providing the most rapid, comprehensive, and evidence-based care for our patients," said neurologist and Stroke Program Medical Director, Rachael E. Schutz, MD. "Receiving this award validates our team's dedication to providing the highest standard of stroke care excellence, including door-to-treatment times that exceed national standards. This recognition belongs to our entire multidisciplinary stroke team – from our emergency room staff and stroke nurses to our surgeons, neurologists, and rehab specialists. We are incredibly proud to offer our Eastside community this quality of stroke care."
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.
"These awards show EvergreenHealth's commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care," said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association's Quality Oversight Committee. "By following the American Heart Association's quality improvement protocols, EvergreenHealth can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities."
EvergreenHealth Kirkland 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. Additionally, the hospital received the Recognition for Advanced Stroke Therapy which reflects the tremendous positive impact on patient outcomes of rapid intervention with a specific clot-removing procedure.
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.
