ORANGE PARK – HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

“HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital ranks at the top of HCA Healthcare’s over 180 hospitals for our response time to treat a patient stroke experiencing a stroke, known as door to needle time,” said Dr. Michael Horowitz, Endovascular Neurosurgeon at Orange Park Hospital. “As a comprehensive stroke center, this level of care is necessary to give our patients the best outcome and our team has put in an incredible amount of work and dedication to meet the standards of American Stroke Association year over year.”

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 evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in these programs, Orange Park Hospital qualified for the award by demonstrating how its organization has committed to improving quality care.

This year, Orange Park Hospital received these achievement awards:

• Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus with Target: stroke honor roll elite plus and type 2 diabetes honor roll

• Get With The Guidelines AFib Gold

• Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Gold with Target: Type 2 diabetes honor roll

“We are pleased to recognize HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital for their commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and executive vice president for health system affairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”