CASPER, WYO (July 12, 2023) — Banner Wyoming Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“Banner Wyoming Medical Center has a long tradition of providing high-level stroke care to the people of Wyoming,” said Lance Porter, CEO. “This recognition shows our continued commitment to keeping high-quality care in Wyoming and close to home.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
“Our Neuro unit staff is committed to integrating the latest, advanced stroke training in their care and absolutely deserves this recognition,” said Sara Kemper, RN, Banner Wyoming Medical Center’s stroke program manager. “I’m proud to work alongside so many professionals dedicated to excellence.”
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for 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 for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“Banner Wyoming Medical Center is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Charles Bowkley, M.D., an interventional radiologist and medical director of stroke at Banner Wyoming Medical Center. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Wyoming can experience longer, healthier lives.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Banner Wyoming Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Banner Wyoming Medical Center also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll award and Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for these recognitions, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase. The Target: Type 2 Diabetes 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.
About Banner Wyoming Medical Center
Banner Wyoming Medical Center is the state’s largest hospital with 249 beds, more than 45 medical specialties and 13 primary, specialty and immediate care clinics. As a regional trauma and referral center, the hospital serves 11 Wyoming counties with more than 250,000 people and is Casper’s only full-service, non-profit hospital with comprehensive heart, stroke and trauma care. For more information, visit BannerHealth.com.
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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
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