Anne Arundel Medical Center Wins National Award For Stroke Care

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center recently won a national award for its stroke care. The American Heart Association bestowed the honor, called the Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines - Stroke quality achievement award.

Strokes happen when a blood vessel to the brain bursts or gets blocked by a clot. This deprives the brain of necessary blood and oxygen, causing cells to die.

The Annapolis hospital said strokes are the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Early stroke detection and treatment can improve the chances of survival, minimize disability and accelerate recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines - Stroke, also known as GWTG, is a national initiative that promotes evidence-based treatment. These medical best practices stem from research by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.

Along with high-quality treatment, Get With The Guidelines participants also teach patients how to manage their health and recovery at home.

Dr. Minas Gebru, the medical director for the LHAAMC stroke program, said the hospital is dedicated to this treatment model. Gebru applauded the medical center's work in a June 15 press release announcing the award.

“LHAAMC is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” Gebru said. “Get with the Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. We use the data from GWTG every day to drive and guide our program decisions. The end goal is to ensure more people can experience longer, healthier lives.”

The Anne Arundel Medical Center also earned the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award.

This similar program ensures that patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, get the most up-to-date care when hospitalized after a stroke.