Coliseum Medical Centers has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^- Stroke Silver Plus with Honor Roll Elite Plus Award and the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. The awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. 

Coliseum Medical Centers earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions

“Our hospital is proud of our longstanding reputation of providing timely, high-quality stroke care to our community,” said Dr. Corbi Milligan, Chief Medical Officer for Coliseum Health System. “We are so grateful for our dedicated physicians and staff. This award is a reflection of their commitment to consistently meet or exceed the clinical guidelines developed by the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines initiative.”

The hospital has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

“We are pleased to recognize Coliseum Medical Centers for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.” 

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.