IU Health West Stroke Program Recognized for Excellence

Indiana University Health West Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s GoldPlus Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke 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. 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 evidence- and research-based guidelines.

The program also recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Stroke Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

“IU Health West is dedicated to providing the utmost care to its patients. These awards demonstrate that our stroke program is providing high quality, safe patient care,” said Kirsten Strausburg, IU Health West’s stroke clinical program manager. “Our goal is to ensure that people in our community can live longer, healthier lives.”

Stroke is the number five 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.