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Clark Fork Valley Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline awards for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care

Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) received an American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® and Mission: Lifeline® achievement award for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke, and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline put 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. As a participant in Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs, CFVH qualified for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.

“Clark Fork Valley Hospital is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for strokes,” explained Kitty Strowbridge, BSN, RN and Quality and Performance Improvement Manager. “Our staff have put a lot of time and effort into decreasing time between patients presenting to the ER and getting a CT scan as well as developing a code stroke response to ensure all hands are on deck to coordinate care for potential stroke patients. These processes specifically have contributed greatly to better outcomes for our patients here is Sanders County.”

“This award shows CFVH's commitment to caring for those in their community who need stroke care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, CFVH can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”

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About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.

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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