Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award for efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural healthcare outcome disparities. Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital is a certified Primary Stroke Center utilizing a multidisciplinary team to deliver rapid diagnosis and treatment that is crucial to minimizing brain damage and maximizing recovery.
People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades. Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital is committed to closing this gap, according to a provided news release.
The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health, recognizes the importance of healthcare services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in “Get With The Guidelines - Stroke” are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.
“We are proud that our team at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Kosciusko County and surrounding counties who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Lynn Mergen, chief executive officer of Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital. “As a hospital in a rural community, hurdles do not affect the standard of care our stroke patients receive. Rural communities deserve high quality stroke care. I'm proud of our team for their commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”