Mercy Arkansas Hospitals Receive Awards for Stroke Care

Mercy hospitals in Arkansas have again earned national recognition for their commitment to providing high-quality stroke care.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has recognized Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas with its Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) Stroke Gold Plus award, along with two additional awards, including Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. Recognition is based on calendar year data for 2023. 

Additional Mercy Arkansas locations also received awards from the AHA for excellence in stroke care. These include:

·       Mercy Hospital Berryville, bronze rural GWTG award.

·       Mercy Hospital Booneville, silver GWTG award for stroke care; bronze rural ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) award.

·       Mercy Hospital Ozark, bronze rural GWTG award.

·       Mercy Hospital Paris, bronze rural GWTG award.

·       Mercy Hospital Waldron, bronze rural GWTG award; bronze coronary artery disease referring center.

The AHA issues its Get With The Guidelines - Stroke awards to hospitals that demonstrate their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment following national recognized, research-based guidelines, which saves lives and reduces disabilities. These hospitals also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

As the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., a stroke occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel to the brain or a blood vessel bursts, which prevents the needed oxygen from reaching the brain.

To earn the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Mercy had to meet specific criteria where the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with clot-busting medication is reduced. To earn the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award, Mercy had to demonstrate it aims to ensure 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.