Huntington Hospital Earns Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award

Huntington Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on the most up-to-date, nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, which helps save lives and reduce disability. Huntington also earned the award for its dedication to providing education to help people manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the AHA’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.

“Here at Huntington Hospital, we are doing all we can to remain at the forefront of stroke care,” said Arbi Ohanian, MD, neurologist and medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Huntington Hospital. As a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, Huntington uses advanced technology for stroke interventions and care, including clot-busting medicine called tenecteplase (TNK-tPA); thrombectomy, a procedure that directly pulls blood clots out of the blood vessel; 320-slice CT imaging, a high-speed X-ray machine that captures 320 detailed, cross-sectional images of an entire organ in a single, split-second spin; and Viz.ai, an AI-based imaging software that allows neurologists to evaluate for bleeds and blockages remotely.

“Right now, we are seeing over 1,000 strokes per year at Huntington; nearly triple the number we saw a decade ago. Unfortunately, this figure is only expected to increase because of our aging population; the risk of stroke exponentially increases with age – doubling with each decade after the age of 65,” Dr. Ohanian said. But he feels Huntington is prepared. “We have advanced imaging equipment to help make the best possible clinical decisions for patients and multiple stroke-trained neurologists and neuroradiologists on staff – a rarity in most hospitals,” he explained. “We have a wide breadth of expertise and are especially well prepared to deal with complex stroke cases.”

Huntington also received the Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapyawards by meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot-causing stroke. The hospital additionally received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award by ensuring patients with type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

“We are proud to recognize Huntington Hospital for its commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities.”

According to the American Heart Association, 80% of strokes are preventable through healthy lifestyle changes and managing medical risk factors. Seeing a neurologist if unexplained symptoms occur, like uncontrolled headaches, balance issues, dizziness or numbing/tingling sensations, is also helpful.

For more information about stroke and Huntington’s Stroke Treatment Program, go to: www.huntingtonhealth.org\our-services\neurology\stroke-program\

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.