West River Health Services awarded for efforts to improve rural stroke care

PICTURED left to right: Alyson Kornele, CEO, Chelsea Burns, RN, ACNO, and Kelly Hagen, CNO

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

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.

"This award recognizes our commitment to providing high-quality stroke care, especially in rural communities," said Kelly Hagen, CNO of West River Health Services. "It reflects the hard work, dedication and compassion of our entire team in delivering evidence-based treatment and improving patient outcomes."

Thank you to our incredible staff, partners and community for supporting this mission. Together we are raising the standard of care-right here at home.

^[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.