Adventist Health Bakersfield is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Stroke Care

July 29, 2025

The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus award for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care

Adventist Health Bakersfield has received the American Heart Association’s 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 and reduced disability.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. 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.

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

“Advancing stroke care through the latest evidence-based treatment guidelines is a top priority for our team,” said Lisa Kreber, PhD, Brain and Spine Service Line director, Adventist Health Central California Network. “As someone with a family member who experienced a stroke, I’ve seen firsthand the lasting impact it can have on patients and their loved ones. That’s why we’re deeply committed to ensuring our community receives consistent, high-quality care. Programs like Get With The Guidelines help us provide treatment that improve outcomes and save lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“We are incredibly pleased to recognize Adventist Health Bakersfield 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 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.”

Adventist Health Bakersfield also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

In addition, Adventist Health Bakersfield received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award—an award it also received in 2024. Target: Type 2 Diabetes 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.