Stephens County Hospital Earns Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Designation
Stephens County Hospital has received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Silver Plus quality achievement award. This award demonstrates our commitment to ensuring poeple experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability.
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 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability, and supporting faster recovery.
Get With The Guidelines brings the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association into hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines--Stroke is an in-hospital program designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
"Stephens County Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines," said Kortney Pearce, Clinical Programs Director. "Get With The Guidelines helps our teams put proven science into practice every day. Research shows this approach can support better recovery, with the ultimate goal of helping people in Toccoa and surrounding communities live longer, healthier lives."
Each year, participating hospitals qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality stroke care. In addition to following clinical treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to help people manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.
"We are proud to recognize Stephens County Hospital for its commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke," said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. "Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions, and lower mortality rates--a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families, and communities."
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.