Ascension Sacred Heart Bay gets national award for heart disease and stroke treatment

Samantha Neely, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Ascension Sacred Heart Bay has received the American Heart Association’s SilverPlus “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke” quality achievement award.

The Panama City hospital received the national award for demonstrating a commitment to following the latest research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke. Hospitals achieving the honor generally have shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions.

“Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” Ascension President Robin Godwin said. “By meeting the American Heart Association's guidelines, we are improving the quality of care for our patients with the goal of ensuring more people we serve can experience longer, healthier lives.”

Dr. Muhammad Aamer Zaman Khan, Ascension stroke medical director and neurologist, said the award signifies his team is providing optimal care.

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He emphasized how dangerous strokes can be if not treated quickly and properly.

“Strokes can happen at any time to anyone and can be devastating for patients and their families. As far as acute strokes are concerned, early treatment is crucial because it could be the difference between life or death and/or severe disability," Khan said.

Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is an accredited stroke center. All patient rooms are private.

Hospital officials said they provide advanced cardiovascular services, including the area’s only open-heart surgery, minimally invasive valve replacement surgery (TAVR) and the Watchman procedure for atrial fibrillation.

“Multi disciplines collaborate to ensure our stroke patients are treated timely and appropriately,” Khan said. “Our team includes providers, nurses, PT/OT/speech, dietary, lab, pharmacy and radiology.”

Ascension Sacred Heart Bay also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 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 because of stroke.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Ascension Sacred Heart Bay gets national award for stroke care