OKEECHOBEE — People who live in rural communities live an average of 3 fewer years   than urban counterparts, have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades, according to the American Heart Association. 

HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital is committed to changing that.

For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award.

The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.

“We are proud that our team at HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Okeechobee who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Brian Melear, chief executive officer.

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.