LeConte Medical Center Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

July 2024 – LeConte 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 that ultimately lead to more lives saved and reduced disability.

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the country. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

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.

“LeConte Medical Center is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for strokes,” said Callie West, stroke coordinator. “The Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps people in Sevier County and surrounding areas experience longer, healthier lives.”

LeConte Medical Center is also a steward in the community for stroke education in children and families through a staff-created book titled “Can My Dog Have a Stroke?”. The book explains the signs and symptoms of stroke, and what to do if these are recognized.

“We are able to reach children as well as their family members when they are instructed to take the book home and read it to family and friends. It has been a very successful tool in reaching the various demographic members of our community,” said West.

LeConte also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. This award 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.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize LeConte 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. “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.”

Learn more about LeConte Medical Center’s stroke care.

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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.