Great Plains Health is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care
Contact: Emily Theiler
North Platte, Neb., July 12, 2024 – Great Plains Health has once again been honored with the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. This prestigious recognition demonstrates Great Plains Health's continued commitment to delivering advanced stroke care to patients, following the latest research-based treatment guidelines.
Stroke ranks as the fifth leading cause of death and a major contributor to disability in the United States. It occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted, either by a clot blocking a blood vessel or by a vessel rupturing. This interruption of blood and oxygen supply to a part of the brain results in the death of brain cells. Swift identification and treatment of stroke are crucial for enhancing survival rates, reducing long-term impairments, and speeding up recovery processes.
The Get With The Guidelines program harnesses the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to support hospitals across the nation. This initiative ensures that patient care aligns with the most current, evidence-based guidelines. Specifically, the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke program is designed to enhance in-hospital stroke care by promoting adherence to these guidelines. By doing so, it aims to minimize the long-term effects of stroke and potentially prevent fatalities.
Ivan Mitchell, Great Plains Health chief executive officer, stated, "At Great Plains Health, we are dedicated to improving patient care. This award reflects our team's tireless efforts to provide high-quality, evidence-based care to our community, ensuring that more people in Greater Nebraska can lead longer, healthier lives."
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Great Plains Health 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 and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
“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.”
About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning more than 67,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.
About Get With The Guidelines
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.