Northern Michigan Regional Hospital was recently awarded the American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines — Stroke Gold Performance Achievement award.

The hospital was the only hospital in Michigan to receive the award for the second consecutive year.

Get with the Guidelines is a program created by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to help hospitals ensure care that is consistent with the most up-to-date scientific guidelines.

The organization recognized Northern Michigan Regional Hospital as the only hospital in Michigan for achieving at least two years of 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines program quality indicators to improve quality and patient care and outcomes.

“With a stroke, because time lost is brain lost, we are continuously striving to improve  the quality of care and safety of our patients,” said Reezie DeVet, Northern Michigan Regional Health System president and chief executive officer. “As the only certified stroke center in Northern Michigan, our dedication to patient-centered initiatives has resulted in some of the best outcomes in the state. We are pleased to have received this recognition which will continue to push us to not just lead the region, but also lead the state of Michigan in stroke care.”

Get With The Guidelines key measures include the aggressive use of medications such as t-PA, which if given within three hours of stroke onset can reverse the disabling affects of stroke; antithrombotics to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke; anticoagulation therapy to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation; DVT prophylaxis to prevent blood clots in the legs of patients unable to walk, cholesterol-reducing drugs; and smoking cessation.

Northern Michigan Regional Hospital has also developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients in the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations, and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.