FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (NAPA, Sept 5., 2025) — Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award 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.
Queen of the Valley also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM 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.
Stroke, the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., 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. An in-hospital program, Get With The Guidelines – Stroke improves care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the most up-to-date treatment protocols,” said Amy Herold, M.D., chief administrative officer and chief medical officer. “Get With The Guidelines helps our teams put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Napa can experience longer, healthier lives.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Queen of the Valley Medical Center 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.”
In addition, Queen of the Valley received 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.
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About Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a 208-bed, acute care facility founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. The Queen is the largest healthcare facility and one of the largest employers in Napa County. Services provided include a regional heart center; orthopedic center and cancer center approved with commendations by the American College of Surgeons; the Peggy Herman Neuroscience Center, a neurosurgery program affiliated with UCSF; a Women’s Center; maternity and infant care; inpatient and outpatient minimally invasive surgery; and a full-service emergency department and trauma center, amongst many other specialty services. Learn more: www.providence.org/queen.
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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
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