AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport has been honored with the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, recognizing the hospital’s unwavering commitment to providing stroke patients with high-quality, timely, evidence-based care. This achievement reflects AdventHealth's dedication to improving outcomes, reducing disability, and ultimately saving more lives.
AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport received the prestigious designation 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.
The hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. 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.
Recent data from Florida Health Department data shows Polk County saw about 51 per 100,000 people die from a stroke, which was higher than Florida's overall rate of about 45 per 100,000 people. The most recent data from the Florida Department of Health shows stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in Florida. Since 2010, the number of Floridians who died from stroke has increased. Each year there are approximately 65,000-75,000 hospitalizations from stroke.
“Strokes can strike suddenly, causing major harm and resulting in life-altering consequences, which is why every moment matters when providing treatment and working to save a life,” said Jo Ann Ankoviak, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of AdventHealth Heart of Florida. “We’re deeply grateful for this recognition. It reflects the outstanding, whole-person care our team at AdventHealth Heart of Florida delivers each day in our mission to help more people in our communities live longer, healthier lives.”
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.
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 AdventHealth Heart of Florida for its commitment to caring for patients with 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, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Health experts say you should try to remember the acronym, “BE FAST” to look for symptoms.
B - Balance - Look for loss of balance.
E - Eyes - Check for vision loss.
F - Face - Look for an uneven smile.
A - Arms - Check to see if one arm is weak.
S - Speech- Listen for slurred speech.
T - Time - It is time to CALL 9-1-1, if any of these signs are present.
To learn more about stroke prevention and treatment, and the other healthcare services AdventHealth Heart of Florida offers, you can go to AdventHealthHeartofFlorida.com.