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Greenville, N.C. – The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has awarded all nine ECU Health hospitals Get With the Guidelines achievement awards for their work in treating stroke, diabetes, cardiac arrest, heart attack and heart failure. These awards recognize the health system’s commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

“ECU Health is honored to receive national recognition from the American Heart Association for our unwavering commitment to providing top-tier care to eastern North Carolina,” said Teresa Anderson, PhD, RN, NE-BC, senior vice president of quality at ECU Health. “These achievements reflect the dedication and expertise of our teams who work tirelessly every day to deliver the best possible care to our patients across the health system. By adhering to the latest research-based guidelines, we are not only improving patient outcomes but also advancing our mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

ECU Health recognitions include:

ECU Health Beaufort Hospital – A Campus of ECU Health Medical Center

• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze

ECU Health Bertie Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Bronze

ECU Health Chowan Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver

ECU Health Duplin Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze

ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Center Bronze
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

ECU Health Medical Center

• Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold Neonate/Infant
• Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold Pediatric
• Get With the Guidelines – Resuscitation Bronze Newly Born
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

ECU Health North Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Rural Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze

ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural STEMI Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze

Outer Banks Health Hospital

• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Silver
• Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Rural Bronze

“Providing high-quality care close to home is essential, especially in regions like eastern North Carolina, where rates of stroke, diabetes and heart disease are significantly higher,” said Dr. Niti Armistead, chief quality officer at ECU Health. “Having access to specialized treatment and adhering to evidence-based guidelines locally ensures that patients receive the best possible care without the added stress of traveling long distances, which can make a critical difference in recovery and overall health outcomes. Get With the Guidelines programs align with our mission of improving the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina by putting proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis. Patients across our region can take heart knowing that all our hospitals are available to provide them with exceptional care.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, cardiovascular disease and stroke are the leading and fifth leading causes of death in the United States, respectively. On average, someone in the U.S. experiences a stroke every 40 seconds, with nearly 795,000 new or recurrent strokes occurring annually. Stroke claims approximately 140,000 lives each year, accounting for one out of every twenty deaths. The stroke death rate is even higher in eastern North Carolina, underscoring the critical need for preventive measures and rapid treatment. The state also faces a higher prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Research indicates that patients experience better recovery outcomes when health care providers consistently adhere to treatment guidelines and programs like Get With the Guidelines.

“These awards show ECU Health’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, ECU Health can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About ECU Health

ECU Health is a mission-driven, 1708-bed academic health care system serving more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not-for-profit system is comprised of more than 14,000 team members, nine hospitals and a physician group that encompasses over 1,100 academic and community providers practicing in over 185 primary and specialty clinics located in more than 110 locations. The flagship ECU Health Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, and ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital serve as the primary teaching hospitals for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine share a combined academic mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina through patient care, education and research. For more information, visit ECUHealth.org.

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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.