Napa, Calif. — Queen of the Valley Medical Center 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 nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability.
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.
Get With The Guidelines brings the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association into 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 designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
“Achieving excellence in patient care requires an unwavering commitment to evidence-based medicine,” said Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Amy Herold. “Through Get With The Guidelines, our clinicians use proven treatment approaches that help improve patient outcomes and recovery. This work reflects our mission to provide exceptional care and help our neighbors live healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
Each year, participating hospitals qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality stroke care. In addition to following clinical treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to help people manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.
“We are proud to recognize Queen of the Valley for its commitment to caring for people experiencing 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, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities.”
Queen of the Valley also received the following recognitions:
-
The American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
-
The American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure 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.
###About Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a Catholic, nonprofit, acute-care hospital serving Napa Valley and surrounding communities for more than 60 years. Part of Providence St. Joseph Health, a national nonprofit Catholic health system, The Queen is guided by a mission to provide compassionate, high-quality, whole-person care, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. The medical center offers a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, maternity services, surgical care, cancer care, heart and vascular services, and advanced specialty care, delivered by dedicated caregivers committed to the health and well-being of the community.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.
About the Author
More Content by Providence News Team
