Ocala Hospitals Recognized for Outstanding Stroke Care

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital announced today both hospitals have been nationally recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the latest available and most appropriate treatment, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital was recognized with the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus; Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll; and Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll award, recognizing the hospital for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between a patient’s arrival and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke. 

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 Rollaward.

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital are the only healthcare providers in Ocala recognized for 10 or more consecutive calendar 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, including 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.

“HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital are committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Alan Keesee, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital CEO. “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.”

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. 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 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.”

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.