News Release

FORT WAYNE — Parkview Regional Medical Center has received multiple American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines Gold Plus awards, recognizing the hospital for excellent atrial fibrillation (commonly called AFib), stroke and Type 2 diabetes care.

It’s the second consecutive year Parkview has received the Gold Plus award for atrial fibrillation care and the fifth time in 10 years that it has been recognized for stroke care. Atrial fibrillation affects millions of Americans, often leading to heart-related complications as well as
increasing the risk for stroke five-fold. However, proper care and treatment can reduce these risks. Atrial fibrillation is projected to impact 12 million people by 2030, is a factor in up to 20% of stroke
cases and can double the chance of heart failure if left untreated, according to the American Heart Association.

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 evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in the program, Parkview qualified for the awards by demonstrating how it has committed to improving quality care.

“If your heart is not beating and pumping correctly, it can seriously decrease your quality of life or lead to serious, life-threatening complications like blood clots, stroke or heart failure,” said Dr.
Roy Robertson, president of Parkview Heart Institute. “AFib is a common heart condition and a major risk factor for stroke, but our cardiologists at the Parkview Heart Institute are experts when it comes to identifying, treating and managing the condition with our patients before it leads to more serious health impacts.”

“Preventative care like managing hypertension, stress, diet,  cholesterol and diabetes and encouraging other healthy lifestyle choices are important for managing risk of stroke,” said Dr. Fen-Lei Chang, medical director of Parkview Neuroscience. “For patients who do suffer a stroke, our physicians, advanced practice providers and staff follow evidence-based best practices and procedures to help recovery and restoration of their quality of life. We’re proud to once again be recognized by the American Heart Association.”

The Get With the Guidelines – AFib quality achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association. The Target: StrokeSM Elite Plus Hospitals is awarded for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy, while the Target: Type 2
Diabetes Honor Roll award for ensuring patients who might be at higher risk for complications receive evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

The Parkview Heart Institute, co-located on the Parkview Regional Medical Center campus, is northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio’s one-stop location for  cardiology care. The institute’s cardiologists and clinical teams are dedicated to prevention, early detection, treatment and rehabilitation for all things heart, with multiple specialty clinics for conditions such as AFib, hypertension, heart failure, cardio-oncology and  cardiovascular genetics, among others. Parkview Regional Medical Center and the Parkview Heart Institute were recognized this year by Fortune/PINC AI as No. 8 overall for top cardiovascular care out of more than 300 community hospitals.

The Parkview Stanley Wissman Stroke Center, headquartered at Parkview Regional Medical Center but providing services throughout Parkview’s system of  hospitals, provides interventional procedures and surgical treatments, patient and family-focused care and community health education. Parkview’s multidisciplinary diabetes teams help patients craft a  treatment plan to build self-management skills, control symptoms and improve quality of life.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Parkview for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Dr. Steven Messe, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and 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.”