Two Penn Highlands Healthcare Hospitals Earn American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Gold Plus Awards
Penn Highlands Healthcare has a reputation among patients and their families for providing the highest quality stroke care in Northwestern/Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania and the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) agree.
Penn Highlands DuBois received the AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines® — Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award Hospital. In addition, Penn Highlands Mon Valley received the organizations’ Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award Hospital.
The Hospitals received these achievement awards for their 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 fifth leading 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.
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.
“This recognition further demonstrates the Penn Highlands Healthcare commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely,” said Kristina L. Cence, BSN, RN, Stroke Coordinator for the health system. “Our hospitals are known in their communities for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients. The recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines — Stroke further reinforces our teams’ hard work.”
Both Hospitals also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at a higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized for a stroke.
About Penn Highlands Healthcare
Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011, and is comprised of eight hospitals – Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley and Penn Highlands Tyrone -- that have served area communities for the past 100+ years.
Its business continuum also includes home care agencies, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.
Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with 6,651 workers in 150+ locations throughout 39 counties in Northwestern/Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,498 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds. The system, which has 827 physicians and 405 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare the best choice in the region.