Georgetown Community Hospital is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care
July 25, 2025
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (July 25, 2025) — Georgetown Community Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Get With The Guidelines®- Rural Stroke Gold quality achievement awards for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. 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.[1],[2] Georgetown Community Hospital is committed to changing that.
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 research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“Georgetown Community Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Barbara Kinder, RN, BSN, MA, MBA, CCPS, Chief Nursing Officer of Georgetown Community Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better.”
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Georgetown Community Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “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.”
“Patients and health care professionals in Scott County face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, co-author on the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. Georgetown Community Hospital has furthered this important work to improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”
To learn more about Georgetown Community Hospital, please call 502.868.1100. To take a stroke health risk assessment, visit GeorgetownCommunityHospital.com/Stroke.
[1] American Heart Association. American Heart Association issues call to action for addressing inequities in rural health. February 10, 2020. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/american-heart-association-issues-call-to-action-for-addressing-inequities-in-rural-health; American Heart Association. Public Health AmeriCorps to address health inequity in rural communities. April 6, 2022. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/public-health-americorps-to-address-health-inequity-in-rural-communities.
[2] Harrington R, et al. Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Circulation. 2020;141:e615–e644.