HERMISTON, Ore.-Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) is pleased to announce two significant achievements recognizing the quality of stroke care available to patients in Eastern Oregon: Primary Stroke Center Certification from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Silver Award. With its DNV certification, Good Shepherd is the only Certified Primary Stroke Center in Eastern Oregon.
Together, these achievements recognize Good Shepherd’s commitment to providing timely, evidence-based stroke care and ensuring patients throughout the region have access to high-quality emergency care close to home.
“These accomplishments are a tremendous reflection of the work our teams have done to strengthen stroke care at Good Shepherd,” said Art Mathisen, GSHCS President and CEO. “When someone is experiencing a stroke, every second matters. Our community can have confidence that we have the people, training, technology and processes in place to quickly assess and treat stroke patients. I am incredibly proud of our team and their commitment to providing exceptional care close to home.”
Good Shepherd’s Primary Stroke Center Certification from DNV affirms the hospital’s readiness to diagnose and treat a full range of stroke-related medical conditions. DNV certification evaluates stroke programs against rigorous standards for quality, safety and clinical performance, including diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, patient education, and ongoing measurement of outcomes.
Good Shepherd also earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Silver Award, which recognizes rural hospitals for their commitment to improving stroke outcomes through timely, evidence-based care. Recognition is based on performance measures including rapid brain imaging, intravenous thrombolytic therapy when appropriate, stroke expert consultation, emergency medical services communication, patient assessment and timely interfacility transfer.
Achieving these milestones required collaboration across Good Shepherd Health Care System, including Emergency Services, physicians, nursing, Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory, Rehabilitation Services, Case Management and other clinical teams, as well as local emergency medical services and regional partners.
“Our region deserves high-quality stroke care,” Mathisen added. “These achievements demonstrate what is possible when our teams work together toward one goal – giving every stroke patient the best possible opportunity for survival and recovery.”
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Because a stroke interrupts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, recognizing symptoms and seeking emergency medical care immediately can significantly improve a patient’s chance of survival and help reduce long-term disability.
Good Shepherd’s DNV Primary Stroke Center Certification and American Heart Association recognition reinforce the health system’s continued commitment to advancing emergency and specialty care for the community it serves. Learn more at www.gshealth.org.
