Hamilton Memorial Hospital District has received national recognition for its efforts to improve stroke care for patients in Southern Illinois.
The McLeansboro hospital received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Rural Recognition Gold Award, recognizing its commitment to providing timely, evidence-based stroke treatment in a rural setting.
The award evaluates hospitals on several stroke care measures, including timely treatment and transfers, brain imaging, stroke specialist consultation, patient assessments and communication with emergency medical services.
Hamilton Memorial Chief Nursing and Clinical Officer Joshua Tharp said rural hospitals face challenges including longer transfer times and limited staffing resources, but those challenges should not compromise patient care.
“We have made it a priority to ensure those challenges never compromise the standard of care our stroke patients receive,” Tharp said. “Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care.”
According to the American Heart Association, people living in rural communities face increased risks of heart disease and stroke mortality compared with those in urban areas. Stroke remains the nation’s fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability.
Hamilton Memorial serves residents of Hamilton, White and surrounding counties as a Critical Access Hospital.