OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The American Heart Association (Association) has recognized HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital with its prestigious Get with the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, recognizing the hospitals’ commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital received the Association’s Get with the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke™ Honor Roll Elite Plus with Advanced Therapy with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. HCA Florida West Marion Hospital was recognized with the Get with the Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award.

“Being honored for dedication to excellent patient care is the best recognition a hospital can get. At HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital, we care about our patients. That’s why we’ve made a commitment to turn treatment guidelines into lifelines to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Alan Keesee, chief executive officer for HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. “What really gets us excited is seeing how we’re affecting lives. Get with the Guidelines® programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in Marion County experience longer, healthier lives.”

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital are the only healthcare providers in Ocala recognized for 10 or more consecutive years of Gold Plus achievement in Get with the Guidelines – Stroke. These national awards recognize the care teams’ dedication and commitment to high quality care for treating stroke, which is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S.

The awards acknowledge the hospitals’ efforts to meet specific criteria that reduce the time between a patient’s arrival and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke and ensuring 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. The Association based the awards on data gathered from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. 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.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairman 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.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get with the Guidelines® participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

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