BRIGHTON, MA – St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its primary stroke center and has also earned recognition from the from American Heart Association 2024 Get with the Guidelines: Stroke Gold Plus, Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

“St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is pleased to receive these recognitions. They speak to the caliber of our stroke care team and the care St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center provides to our community for patients who experience a stroke,” said Paul C. Smith, president. “I especially want to recognize Dr. Judith Hinchey, Dr. Anna Hohler, and Susan Riley, MSN, RN, stroke nurse coordinator, for their continuous and dedicated efforts around stroke care.” 

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review on April 27, 2024, by the Joint Commission where a reviewer evaluated the medical center’s compliance with stroke program certification standards.  Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients.

The AHA Get With The Guidelines is a quality achievement award for St. Elizabeth’s 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 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.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. 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.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize St. Elizabeth’s 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 and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “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.”

About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center 
Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center of Boston, Inc., a Boston University Teaching Hospital, offers patients access to some of Boston's most respected physicians and advanced treatments for a full range of medical specialties, including family medicine, cardiovascular care, women and infants' health, cancer care, neurology care, and orthopedics. The 306-bed tertiary care facility is part of Steward Health Care. For more information, visit www.semc.org.

About Steward Health Care 
Over a decade ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different kind of health care company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. One that provides our patients better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers unrivaled coordination of care, and our communities greater prosperity and stability.

As the country’s largest physician-led, minority-owned, integrated health care system, our doctors can be certain that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together we are on a mission to revolutionize the way health care is delivered - creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world.

Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates more than 30 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

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.

About The Joint Commission
For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.