The American Heart Association awards four Abrazo hospitals for proven dedication to ensuring stroke patients receive best practices and life-saving care!

GOODYEAR — Abrazo West Campus earns the American Heart Association’s 2025 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, reduced disability, and greater outcomes.

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.

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart & Stroke Associations to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines.

“Abrazo West is committed to improving patient care,” says Hans Driessnack, CEO of Abrazo West Campus. “By adhering to the latest treatment guidelines, we are putting proven knowledge to work daily, which studies show can help patients recover faster. The end goal is to ensure more people in the West Valley have access to advanced health care and experience longer, healthier lives.”

Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to guidelines that can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

In addition, Abrazo West also received the following recognition:

• American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Elite award given to hospitals meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
• American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.
• American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award that 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.

Three other Abrazo hospitals received recognition from the American Heart Association.

• Abrazo Scottsdale Campus earned the Get With the Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Abrazo Arrowhead Campus earned the Get With the Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
• Abrazo Central Campus earned the Get With the Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Abrazo West Campus 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 is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”