(Spencer)– A local hospital is receiving some special recognition for stroke care. Spencer Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Rural Recognition Silver Award.
Stroke is the number 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S according to the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. The statistics show people living in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40 percent higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30 percent increased risk for stroke mortality. Brenda Tiefenthaler, President and CEO of Spencer Hospital, says the recognition they’ve received is due to their work in addressing those numbers…
“As a hospital in a rural community, we face challenges such as extended interfacility transportation times and limited staffing resources. We have made it a priority to ensure these challenges never compromise the standard of care our stroke patients receive. Rural communities deserve high quality stroke care. I’m proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”
Rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines program are eligible to receive the recognition which is based on early acute stroke performance metrics, including therapy, screening, symptom timelines, brain imaging and consultation services, among other factors.
