Western Baptist stroke care earns quality award.

Western Baptist Hospital has received the Bronze Quality Achievement Award for stroke treatment, after meeting guidelines in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines program.

The award recognizes Western Baptist’s commitment and success in providing stroke care that meet nationally accepted standards and recommendations. This is the second national recognition of Western Baptist’s stroke center in less than a year. Last fall, it became the first Kentucky hospital west of Owensboro to earn The Joint Commission’s seal of approval as an advanced primary stroke center.

Western Baptist also has offered stroke rapid response training to area emergency medical services and other hospital emergency departments, as well as free screenings for the public in several counties.

Meanwhile, the hospital participates in statewide initiatives to improve stroke care, including the Stroke Encounter Quality Improvement Program and the Kentucky Cardiovascular Task Force.

Western Baptist and the University of Louisville Health Care partner in a telemedicine stroke network and, along with the Purchase District Health Department, on a grant to improve community awareness of stroke risk factors, symptoms and treatment.