Chesapeake Regional Nationally Recognized for High-Quality Stroke Care

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – Chesapeake Regional Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Gold Plus Stroke quality achievement award 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. Chesapeake Regional also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between when a patient arrives at the hospital and when treatment with thrombolytic therapy begins.  

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.

“Chesapeake Regional is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Dr. Amber Egyud, Chief Operating & Nursing Officer. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work daily, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Hampton roads can experience longer, healthier lives.”

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

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Chesapeake Regional Medical Center for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group, professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.” 

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About Chesapeake Regional Healthcare:
Chesapeake Regional Healthcare is a health system laser-focused on innovation, known for making medical history in the region and providing patients with personal care. Its hospital, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, is a non-state-owned public hospital created by the General Assembly in response to citizens advocating for needed access to healthcare services. It is the only independent, community-based acute care hospital in Hampton Roads. With the best heart attack survival rates of the major systems in the region a new open heart care program, state-of-the-art neuro-interventional suite, comprehensive cancer care, and the most preferred Labor & Delivery program in the area, Chesapeake Regional provides its community with high-quality care that patients know and trust. A nationally accredited Chest Pain Center, Magnet recognized for nursing excellence, and named one of the Best Hospitals of 2024 by Money.com it received several 5-star ratings from Healthgrades and a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award, placing the hospital among the top 10% in the nation for patient safety. With more than 600 physicians and over 75 specialties across 50 locations, Chesapeake Regional’s technologically advanced health care saves lives every day. Learn more at ChesapeakeRegional.com.
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.