American Heart Association recognizes UCI Health stroke center
Get With The Guidelines affirms research-based care that reduces disability and saves lives
July 11, 2023
Orange, Calif. ― As Orange County’s leading provider of stroke care, UCI Health knows that every minute counts in saving lives. The American Heart Association has once again recognized the academic health system for its commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care that reduces the chance of death or disability.
The Get With the Guidelines ― Stroke award affirms the UCI Health Comprehensive Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center’s commitment to following nationally recognized guidelines that result in more lives saved, reduced disability and less time between hospital arrival and treatment.
“This recognition reaffirms the dedication and commitment of our stroke team,” said Dr. Joseph Carmichael, chief medical officer at UCI Health. “This group continuously seeks new therapies that advance stroke treatment and recovery, using them to provide comprehensive, quality care for stroke to our community.”
Nearly two decades of stroke leadership
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and stroke is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
For nearly two decades, UCI Health has been a stroke care innovator locally and nationally, sparing thousands of people from their potentially devastating effects.
In 2004, it became one of the first programs in the country to receive Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission.
It was instrumental in the creation of the Orange County Stroke-Neurology Receiving System in 2009. The system ensures that patients with a stroke are taken to one of the few hospitals in Orange County equipped to provide state-of-the-art care around the clock, including UCI Medical Center.
UCI Medical Center became the first hospital in the county designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. This designation is reserved for hospitals capable of receiving and treating the most complex stroke cases. It confirms that the medical center meets the highest level of stroke care certification for the treatment of patients suffering ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as transient ischemic attacks.
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.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system in Orange County. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed, acute care hospital, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 22 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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