Garnet Health Receives Five Get With The Guidelines® Top Stroke Awards
July 14, 2026Categories: Press Releases, News & Media
MIDDLETOWN, NY (July 14, 2026) — Garnet Health Medical Center and Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills have each received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll quality achievement awards. This achievement recognizes Garnet Health’s commitment to ensuring that people experiencing a stroke receive timely and appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability. Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills also received an additional quality achievement award: Rural Stroke Gold.
Garnet Health Medical Center and Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills are certified Primary Stroke Centers by DNV Healthcare, a national healthcare accrediting organization.
Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, 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 for survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery. Signs and symptoms of stroke include slurred speech, facial drooping, intense headaches and/or weakness on one side of the body. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, call 911 immediately.
“We are proud to recognize Garnet Health Medical Center and Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills for their commitment to caring for people experiencing a stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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 healthcare systems, families and communities.”
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.
Garnet Health offers a free monthly Stroke Support Group for stroke survivors, caregivers, friends and family. Sessions are held in person or virtually, and focus on stroke recovery and quality of life after formal treatment stops. To register, visit garnethealth.org/strokeeducation
To learn more about Garnet Health’s stroke services, please visit garnethealth.org/stroke.
About Garnet Health
Garnet Health is a New York State not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Middletown, New York, approximately 60 miles northwest of New York City. It is the corporate parent of Garnet Health Medical Center, Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills, Garnet Health Doctors, Garnet Health Urgent Care, Garnet Health Foundation and Garnet Health Foundation – Catskills. Providing healthcare to over 500,000 residents in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, Garnet Health is dedicated to developing specialty services, medical programs and needed healthcare services that allow residents to remain close to home to receive quality care. Garnet Health employs more than 4,000 professionals and over 850 medical staff members. To learn more about Garnet Health, visit garnethealth.org.
