SHREVEPORT, La. — Ochsner LSU Health Academic Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, recognizing adherence to evidence-based protocols for treating stroke patients.
The award honors hospitals that consistently apply nationally recognized guidelines to deliver timely stroke care aimed at improving outcomes, reducing disability and lowering mortality.
The American Heart Association said stroke remains the fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, underscoring the importance of rapid diagnosis and treatment.
The Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program is designed to help hospitals align care with the latest research-based recommendations through standardized treatment protocols and patient education. Participating hospitals qualify for recognition by meeting performance measures related to stroke care and recovery.
“As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, our Academic Medical Center brings together advanced neurosciences expertise, highly specialized teams and the latest evidence-based protocols to deliver a higher level of stroke care for our region,” said Chris Mangin, CEO of Ochsner LSU Health Academic Medical Center. “This recognition reflects our commitment to providing rapid, coordinated treatment when every minute matters and to helping patients across North Louisiana achieve the best possible outcomes.”
In addition to the Gold Plus award, the medical center received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Elite award for meeting performance standards related to rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients in the emergency department.
The hospital also earned the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll designation, which recognizes hospitals that provide evidence-based care for stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, a group at elevated risk for complications.
Steven Messe, chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group, said hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines program have been associated with improved patient outcomes, including higher rates of discharge to home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality.
Ochsner LSU Health is a partnership between Ochsner Health and LSU Health Shreveport. The health system serves more than 162,000 patients across North Louisiana through three acute care hospitals, outpatient facilities and clinics in Shreveport, Bossier and Monroe. The organization employs more than 4,200 people and includes approximately 950 physicians and residents across more than 75 specialties and subspecialties.