All three hospitals in St. Mary’s Health Care System have received American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA) achievement awards for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment. Fast treatment in accord with AHA’s nationally recognized, research-based guidelines can save lives and reduce disability.

• St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens received AHA’s Gold Plus award for stroke care, was named to the Target: Stroke Honor Roll, and was also named to the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. St. Mary’s has received the Gold Plus award for stroke care continuously for 13 years, beginning in 2009.
• St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia received AHA’s Gold-Plus award for stroke care for the first time and was named to the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. In 2021, Sacred Heart received the Silver-Plus award. The Gold-Plus award means Sacred Heart has met AHA’s guidelines for two years in a row.
• St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro received AHA’s Silver-Plus award for the first time, meaning Good Samaritan Hospital has met AHA’s guidelines for 12 consecutive months.

“I am as proud as I can be of our colleagues and providers,” said St. Mary’s Health Care System President and CEO Montez Carter. “It takes a tremendous amount of commitment, dedication and teamwork to achieve and maintain such a high level of quality 24/7 for months and years at a time. It’s worth it to be able to help our patients live longer, fuller lives.”

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and the leading cause of adult 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.

“St. Mary’s is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” Carter said. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis. Studies show that care in compliance with these guidelines can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Northeast Georgia 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 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.

Each year, participating hospitals 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 all three St. Mary’s hospitals for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., chairperson of the 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.”

In addition, St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens was named to AHA’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with alteplase.

Also, St. Mary’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital were named to the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. This recognition seeks to ensure that 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. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition in which high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels, eyes and other organs if not managed with diet, exercise, and medicine.

Finally, St. Mary’s Hospital is the only hospital in the greater Athens region to offer mechanical thrombectomy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While not included in the GWTG criteria, this emergency procedure can physically remove the large-vessel blood clots that cause some of the worst strokes. When used in conjunction with alteplase, it has a high success rate in reducing disability and promoting faster recovery.