Conway Regional Medical Center has achieved one of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) top awards for care provided to stroke patients for the third consecutive year. 

Conway Regional received the AHA’s Gold Plus, Target Stroke Honor Roll and Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll awards for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. 

“It is an honor to be recognized for the incredible care our team provides to stroke patients,” said Matt Troup, Conway Regional President and CEO. “Conway Regional has provided high-quality, compassionate care to communities across north central Arkansas for more than 100 years, and this award is a testament of our outstanding physician partners and staff and their focus on continuous quality improvement.”  

Each year, program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization provides exceptional care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home. 

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Conway Regional for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., chairperson of the 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.” 

Conway Regional was also named to the AHA’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.   

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke 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.