Mercy Hospital Earns Stroke GOLD PLUS With Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award

Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers has earned a Stroke GOLD PLUS with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, recognizing consecutive years of adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines.

The award highlights Mercy’s continued success using the “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke” program administered by the associations.

“We are proud of the teamwork and dedication our co-workers bring every day to give our patients excellence in stroke care,” said Robin Vatalaro, Mercy’s neuro stroke services coordinator. “It takes a village of team members from diverse departments to follow best practices the guidelines recommend and ensure the very best care and outcomes for patients.”

Hospitals earn GOLD PLUS by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients for a minimum of two consecutive years. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments, in addition to using the evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. 

Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date care when hospitalized with cardiovascular disease or stroke.

“Our stroke team is dedicated to giving patients fast, accurate diagnosis and treatment, and I am deeply proud of their continued recognition by the American Heart Association,” said Eric Pianalto, president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.

According to the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. Nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.