Cookeville Regional Medical Center is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

Cookeville Regional 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, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death, and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. 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. Cookeville Regional Medical Center has been a recipient of the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for years, earning Silver Plus status, and now has continued its efforts to earn Gold Plus for its quality of treating stroke patients.

“This is a wonderful achievement, and we are extremely proud of our staff and physicians for their dedication to earning Cookeville Regional the Gold Plus achievement award,” said Buffy Key, CEO at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. “We pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality of care at Cookeville Regional, and this award shows our commitment to our community and the people in our region. We will continue to work to bring them the best. Today, we celebrate bringing the best in stroke care.”

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 educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Cookeville Regional 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 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 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.