Reid Health honored 5th straight year for its commitment to high-quality stroke care

Aug. 20, 2025 -- Reid Health has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke quality achievement awards for its 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.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S.

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.

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.

This year, Reid Health received the following awards:

• Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus
• Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Rural Recognition Silver (for Reid Health - Connersville)
• Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite

"It's wonderful to see our team's commitment to improving patient care be recognized on a national level," said Misti Foust-Cofield, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer for Reid Health. "Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge to work on a daily basis. The end goal is to ensure more people in our communities can experience longer, healthier lives."

"Our fifth consecutive award reflects not just a milestone, but a steadfast promise to our patients -- that every person who walks through our doors will receive the highest standard of stroke care possible," said Jordan Raynor, MD, Reid neurologist and Stroke Medical Director.

"This recognition is a testament to the relentless dedication, expertise, and compassion of our entire stroke team."

The honor for Reid Health - Connersville comes for its efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural healthcare outcome disparities. People in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts, have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease, and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality -- a gap that has grown over the past two decades.

To earn the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

"Our fifth consecutive award reflects not just a milestone, but a steadfast promise to our patients -- that every person who walks through our doors will receive the highest standard of stroke care possible. This recognition is a testament to the relentless dedication, expertise, and compassion of our entire stroke team." -- Jordan Raynor, MD, Reid Health neurologist and Stroke Medical Director

Each year, Get With The Guidelines program participants qualify for awards by demonstrating how their organizations have committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

"We are incredibly pleased to recognize Reid Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke," said Steven Messe, MD, Volunteer Chair 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 healthcare systems, families, and communities."

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.