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Fort Loudoun Medical Center Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

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August 2024 – Fort Loudoun Medical Center 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 according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines that ultimately lead to more lives saved and reduced disability.

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Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the country. 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.

“Fort Loudoun Medical Center is committed to improving healthcare in our community by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Erik Geibig, MD, medical director of emergency medicine at Fort Loudoun Medical Center. “Programs like Get with the Guidelines make it easier for our team to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis for the members of our community.”

Fort Loudoun also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke™ Honor Roll Elite Award. 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 thrombolytic therapy. Additionally, it received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll Award. This award 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.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Fort Loudoun Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association 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.”

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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.

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About the Author

Covenant Health

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Covenant Health is a community-owned, healthcare enterprise committed to providing the right care at the right time and place. Covenant Health is the area’s largest employer and has more than 11,000 compassionate caregivers, expert clinicians, and dedicated employees and volunteers.