University Hospital earns national recognition for excellence in stroke care
Get With The Guidelines, the American Heart Association's premier hospital quality improvement program, focuses on evidence-based practices such as rapid diagnosis, timely administration of clot-busting medications, and coordinated multidisciplinary care.
By Michelle Ryan-Day
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USA Health University Hospital has once again been recognized by the American Heart Association for its commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based stroke care, earning four 2026 Get With The Guidelines achievement awards.
The hospital received the Stroke Gold Plus Award, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus recognition, Advanced Therapy and the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. The awards recognize adherence to nationally established treatment guidelines that improve outcomes for stroke patients through rapid intervention and evidence-based care.
University Hospital has consistently received the Gold Plus award since 2011 and the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus recognition since the designation was established in 2016, reflecting a longstanding commitment to excellence in stroke care.
According to Emily Dahlmann, DNP, RN, SCRN, director of the stroke program, the awards are the result of a coordinated effort across the organization.
“The biggest contributing factor to University Hospital maintaining this prestigious award is the hard work and dedication of all staff members,” she said. “I have always said that if you have a badge, you are part of the stroke team. Those who help make this a reality make it look easy.”
Participation in the Get With The Guidelines program helps the stroke team continuously evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement. The program tracks key quality measures and treatment benchmarks that are known to improve patient outcomes.
“By reporting this monthly in stroke committee, leaders take this information back to their staff to not only show areas needing improvement, but most importantly, to celebrate the wins,” Dahlmann said. “We are proud of our door-to-needle times and door-to-device times, which indicates that we are treating strokes quickly.”
The Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus designation recognizes hospitals that meet rigorous standards for reducing the time between a patient's arrival and treatment, while the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll acknowledges hospitals that provide evidence-based care for stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, who may face increased risk for complications.
While University Hospital continues to achieve high marks for rapid stroke treatment, community education remains an important focus.
“One of our biggest challenges is that many people are still driving themselves or others to the hospital if stroke is suspected. We have been educating the community that if stroke is suspected, the first action is to call 911,” Dahlmann said. “We hear the community's concerns about how much an ambulance ride could cost and how some members of the community think they can get their loved one to the hospital faster. However, we explain that EMS can deliver pre-hospital stroke care that will greatly improve their outcomes.”
As the first comprehensive stroke center on the upper Gulf Coast, University Hospital continues to serve as a regional leader in stroke care.
“The community can rest easy knowing that expeditious, high-quality stroke care can be found at University Hospital,” Dahlmann said.
