Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center recognized for advancing rural stroke care

 ‘Get With the Guidelines’ award recognizes hospital’s commitment to delivering timely, evidence-based stroke care in a rural community

KODIAK, Alaska – Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association with the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Silver award.  

The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated through performance on guideline-directed measures including intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely interfacility transfers, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation. 

Through early detection and rapid treatment, Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center works to ensure stroke patients in Kodiak have the best possible chance of recovery and survival. These efforts help improve outcomes, minimize disability and support faster recovery. 

Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is one of only two Critical Access Hospitals in Alaska to receive this designation. 

“We are honored that Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is being recognized by the American Heart Association for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Kodiak who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Emily Stevens, director of nursing. “As a hospital in a rural community, we face challenges such as extended interfacility transportation times and limited staffing resources. We have made it a priority to ensure those challenges never compromise the standard of care our stoke patients receive. Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I'm proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.” 

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, according to the American Heart Association’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.  

The American Heart Association recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With the Guidelines - Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics. 

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About Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center 

Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is part of Providence, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health services, affiliated services and educational facilities. For more information about Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center or Providence Alaska, visit providence.org/about/alaska. 

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 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.