Today, Riverside Health is proud to announce that all four acute care hospitals have received 2025 American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association’s (ASA) Get With the Guidelines — Stroke Quality Achievement Awards. The acute care hospitals also each earned the recognition of Target — Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition for their commitment to providing research-based, high-quality stroke care for presenting patients with type 2 diabetes.
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the country and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain is interrupted from a blockage, the blood vessel ruptures, or bleeding occurs in the brain. 1.9 million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated. Fast diagnosis and treatment of a stroke is critical in restoring blood flow and preserving as much brain function as possible.
“We are honored that all four of our hospitals have received Get With the Guidelines Stroke Awards®. When it comes to stroke, every second counts. These awards recognize the urgency and precision our EMS partners and clinical teams bring to every case, ensuring patients get the critical care they need without delay,” says John N. Livingstone II, M.D., Neurologist and Medical Director of the stroke program at Riverside Health’s Frank Sanderson M.D., Stroke & Neurovascular Center. “It’s an honor to provide this level of care to our community.”
This year, Riverside Health received these achievement awards:
- Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
- Riverside Walter Reed Hospital
- Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Advanced Therapy with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Riverside Regional Medical Center
- Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg
- Get With The Guidelines®-Rural Stroke Bronze
- Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
Riverside’s advanced stroke network works across the region to ensure that stroke patients in receive the latest treatment protocols. Riverside Regional Medical Center is designated as a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center – one of two in southeast Virginia, and the only one on the Virginia Peninsula. That means they are able to provide the most advanced stroke treatments available. Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital and Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg are designated as Primary Stroke Centers. This means they excel in managing strokes that don’t require neurovascular procedures, which are transferred to a Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Hospitals earned these recognitions by consistently meeting quality benchmarks over 24 and 12 months, respectively. These include timely evaluation and treatment, medication management, patient education, and post-discharge care planning — all designed to reduce mortality and improve recovery. Special designations such as Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Advanced Therapy require even faster treatment initiation, including protocols for clot-removal in eligible patients. Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll criteria ensure patients at higher risk for complications receive tailored, evidence-based care during hospitalization for stroke.
“Stroke care today requires more than clinical skill — it demands seamless coordination, innovation, and urgency,” says William H. McAllister, M.D., Riverside Neurosurgeon and Chief of Neuroscience Services. “Our comprehensive approach ensures patients receive the most advanced treatment available the moment they arrive, significantly enhancing patient outcomes for recovery and quality of life after stroke.”
Learn more about stroke care services at Riverside by visiting riversideonline.com/stroke.