Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been honored with the American Heart Association’s prestigious Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award. The distinction recognizes the hospital’s continued dedication to ensuring stroke patients receive swift, research-backed treatment designed to save lives and mitigate long-term disability.
According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 statistics, stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death and a primary driver of long-term disability in the United States. Because brain tissue rapidly deteriorates when blood flow is compromised, hospital leaders emphasize that timely medical intervention is crucial.
“Every minute matters when someone is experiencing a stroke because brain cells begin to die within minutes of losing blood flow,” Anita Mehta, medical director of the Stroke Program at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, said. “By following nationally recognized best practices, we are helping improve outcomes, reduce disability, and give more patients the opportunity to return to their families and their daily lives.”
In addition to the Stroke Gold Plus award, Saint Peter’s has earned the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll designation, ensuring specialized, up-to-date care for hospitalized stroke patients who live with Type 2 diabetes and face elevated complication risks. Furthermore, the hospital maintains an Advanced Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission.
Participating in the Get With The Guidelines initiative helps health care providers lower readmission rates, decrease mortality, and increase the likelihood that patients can safely return home following recovery.
To further protect the community, Saint Peter’s highlights the American Heart Association’s ‘BE FAST’ framework to help the public identify early stroke warning signs:
- B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
- E – Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- F – Face: One side of the face droops or feels numb; ask the person to smile
- A – Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm; ask the person to raise both arms
- S – Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding others
- T – Terrible headache: A sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Health care professionals urge anyone exhibiting these symptoms to call 911 immediately, as prompt emergency care significantly alters recovery outcomes.
