![AHA Get with the Guidelines Award Badge](/sites/default/files/2024-07/GWTG_2024.png)
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has recognized Munson Medical Center (MMC) with the Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy Award for the first time while awarding the Stroke Gold Plus Award and Honor Roll Elite for an 11th consecutive year.
Designated as Northern Michigan’s first and only Comprehensive Stroke Center this past December, the Honor Roll Advanced Therapy Award reflects the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the timeliest door-to-device care.
“Paired with our designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, this award is another representation of our commitment to providing the very highest level of stroke care when minutes truly matter,” said David Rosenbaum-HaLevi, M.D., Interventional Neurologist, Medical Director Witham Family Comprehensive Stroke Program. “Patients in need of stroke care anywhere in Northern Michigan can be confident that our team consistently meets the high standards of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association even in the most complex cases.”
“Our Comprehensive Stroke Center continues to advance rural healthcare and stroke care, pushing the boundaries of what was once thought possible outside of a metropolitan area,” added Gary Rajah, Endovascular/Cerebrovascular Neurosurgeon, Surgical Director, Munson Healthcare Comprehensive Stroke Program.
The Gold Plus Award will be acknowledged nationally in U.S. News and World Report and at the International Stroke Conference Feb. 5 - 7, 2025, in Los Angeles, Ca.
- Those earning this distinction must provide door-to-device care to 50 percent of directly arriving patients in 90 minutes or less and 50 percent of transfer patients in 60 minutes or less.
- To achieve the Gold Plus Award, the hospital must provide appropriate care to 85 percent of stroke patients in 60 minutes or less.
- Prior to discharge, patients also receive education on managing their health, risk factor modification, have a follow-up visit scheduled, and other care transition interventions.
- The award is based on care provided to 1018 stroke patients in 2023.
- The Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award recognizes door-to-treatment time for administering clot-dissolving medication. To receive the award, 85 percent of stroke patients must be treated in 60 minutes or less.
Statistics show that stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
In December of 2023, The Joint Commission certified Munson Medical Center as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, placing it among just 221 hospitals in the United States and one of twelve in the state of Michigan. The Witham Family Comprehensive Stroke Center at MMC is the first-ever in Northern Michigan.
More information on Munson Healthcare’s stroke program can be found at munsonhealthcare.org/stroke.