Four Parkview hospitals recognized by American Heart Association

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Aug. 11, 2026 - Four Parkview Hospitals were recently recognized for dedication to excellent stroke care through the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® program.

Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC), Parkview Hospital Randallia, Parkview Kosciusko Hospital and Parkview Whitley Hospital all received Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus ratings, the highest award level, this year. Parkview Kosciusko and Whitley hospitals also both earned the Get With The Guidelines - Rural Stroke Gold award, with Kosciusko improving from a Silver Plus rating last year.

The Get With The Guidelines quality achievement awards recognize hospitals' commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability.

"Time is critical for a patient experiencing a stroke, so getting the right intervention at the right time is key to achieving the best outcomes and a smoother recovery," said Dr. Shamir Haji, neuroscience service line director, Parkview Health. "This recognition reflects the commitment of our physicians, nurses, EMS partners, and support teams to deliver rapid stroke evaluation, treatment, and coordination of care. When every minute counts, it is critical that high-quality stroke care remains available close to home for the communities we serve."

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, 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 to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.

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.

PRMC was recognized with the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite status and the Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy award - representing the highest level of performance nationally - while Randallia, Kosciusko and Whitley each received Target: Stroke Honor Roll designations. All four hospitals also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll designation this year.

The Target: Stroke awards received by PRMC are given to hospitals reaching the highest level of performance to reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke. To qualify, hospitals must demonstrate their ability to provide clot-busting thrombolysis treatment to more than 50% of patients within 30 minutes and more than 75% within 45 minutes and ability to beat time targets for thrombectomy procedures for both direct arrival and transfer patients.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

And the Target: Type 2 Diabetes recognition 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.

Parkview not only provides high-quality stroke care in emergency situations but also preventative procedures such as being the only provider in the region conducting transcarotid artery revascularization surgery (TCAR). The innovative surgical procedure can greatly reduce the risk of stroke for patients diagnosed with carotid artery disease, a contributing cause in about one third of strokes in the U.S.

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.