Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Receives National Gold Plus Quality Award for Stroke Treatment

July 22, 2022

Cheyenne, WY—Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s (AHA/ASA) Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines^®-Stroke quality achievement award for the fifth year in a row.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke is a national program that helps participating hospitals align patient care with the latest research and evidence-based stroke guidelines, with the goal of speeding recovery in the hospital and at home and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

“Receiving this award validates our stroke team’s intensive and ongoing focus on providing the latest scientific-based treatments for stroke patients, to help them achieve the best possible outcomes,” said Hope Robinson, CRMC’s stroke program manager.

Quality measures that Gold Plus-level hospitals must meet include the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date guidelines. Before being discharged from the hospital, stroke patients must also receive education on managing their health, receive other transition interventions and be scheduled for a follow-up visit with their healthcare provider.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult 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, causing brain cells to die.

On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies from a stroke every 3.5 minutes. More than 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

“Another important part of our work is to educate the community about stroke prevention and stroke signs and symptoms so that those who are experiencing a stroke call 911 and start receiving treatment as soon as possible,” said Dr. Tracie Caller, neurologist with the Cheyenne Regional Medical Group Medical Specialty Clinic. “Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.”

CRMC also received the AHA/ASA’s Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award in conjunction with the Gold Plus achievement for ensuring that patients with type 2 diabetes receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to a stroke.

“The Get With The Guidelines program is so valuable because it helps hospitals put proven knowledge and guidelines to work, on behalf of patients, on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better,” said Tim Thornell, president and chief executive officer of the Cheyenne Regional health system. “And while it’s an honor for our hospital and clinical team to receive this award, ultimately this work is really about doing our utmost to save lives and improve the quality of life for the stroke patients we treat.”

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines^® is the AHA/ASA’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.