Parkwest Medical Center Earns National Recognition for High-Quality Stroke Care

August 2025 – Parkwest 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. It also earned Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognitions.

Tennessee is part of the “Stroke Belt” in the country’s Southeastern region and has one of the highest stroke-related death rates in the nation. It is the fifth leading cause of death, both in Tennessee and the United States.

Strokes occur when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. This prevents the brain from receiving the blood and oxygen it needs, causing brain cells to die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines combines the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to help 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. Hospitals qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Parkwest Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair 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.”

“Stroke care is a race against time,” stated Rocco Cannistraro, MD, Neurohospitalist at Parkwest. “This recognition validates our team’s dedication to rapid diagnosis, evidence-based treatment, and seamless coordination across all departments.”

Parkwest Medical Center is designated as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission for its comprehensive stroke care and is a member of Covenant Health’s stroke network.

To learn more about Parkwest’s stroke services, visit its stroke care webpage.

# # #

About Parkwest Medical Center

Parkwest is leading the way for outstanding healthcare in our community, emphasizing high-quality treatment and medical innovation. In addition to award-winning cardiac services, advanced diagnostics, and more, our state-of-the-art facilities feature one of the area’s first all-digital catheterization laboratories and a comprehensive breast center with a multidisciplinary approach to women’s health. From emergency care to physical therapy programs, Parkwest offers the expertise and resources you need to support a better healthcare journey. Learn more at CovenantHealth.com/Parkwest.

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.