Baptist Health’s commitment to high-quality stroke care in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia has been recognized by the American Heart Association. Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center South, and Baptist Medical Center Nassau each received the Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines® — Stroke Quality Achievement Award, the highest honor awarded by the organization.
Strokes, caused by ruptured or blocked blood vessels supplying the brain, are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and a major contributor to long-term disability in adults. The American Heart Association grants this recognition annually to institutions adhering to its research-based guidelines for stroke treatment, with the Gold Plus level reflecting performance over 24 consecutive months.
Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health, commented on the achievement, stating, “These awards reflect our ongoing commitment to following best practices as we’ve built a network of care that allows patients to access varying levels of stroke care depending on their specific needs.”
The Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center at Baptist Jacksonville, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has provided advanced stroke care within the community, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment. Baptist Health has expanded its stroke care to 16 hospitals and satellite emergency centers through the TeleStroke Program, which offers 24/7 virtual access to experts at the Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center.
Ricardo Hanel, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon and co-medical director of the center, emphasized the importance of early detection and treatment in improving outcomes. The network aims to provide the best possible care to reduce disability and save lives.
Additional honors from the American Heart Association include:
- Baptist Jacksonville received the Target: Stroke℠ Honor Roll Elite Plus and Advanced Therapy awards for reducing the time between patient arrival and clot removal treatment.
- All five adult hospitals in the health system—Baptist Jacksonville, Baptist South, Baptist Nassau, Baptist Medical Center Beaches, and Baptist Medical Center Clay—received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll award, ensuring up-to-date care for diabetic patients.
- Baptist Beaches and Baptist Clay received the Silver Plus Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Quality Achievement Award for adherence to stroke treatment guidelines over 12 consecutive months.
Baptist Jacksonville is also recognized as the region’s only Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, marking the “gold standard” in stroke care certifications.
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