The American Heart Association has recognized the St. Anthony Regional Hospital (SARH) Emergency Department for its efforts to improve stroke care and reduce health disparities in rural communities. Rural residents, on average, live three years less than their urban counterparts and face a 40 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 30 percent increased risk of stroke mortality. To address this alarming statistic, St. Anthony is taking the association’s recommendations to heart and focusing on rapid stroke detection and treatment, which substantially impacts patient outcomes. The “Get With The Guidelines” award acknowledges hospitals that provide timely, evidence-based care despite the challenges rural hospitals often face, such as extended transportation times and limited staffing. SARH Vice President of Patient Services, Sara Gonnerman, says, “We are proud that the St. Anthony Emergency Department team is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Carroll and the surrounding communities who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival. We’ve made it a goal to make sure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our stroke patients receive.” Hospitals are measured based on compliance to guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely inter-hospital transfers, dysphagia screening, emergency communication, brain imaging, and other metrics, with St. Anthony earning the silver award.
