Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital (VTHH) and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital (VCH) have each been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for the quality of care their teams provide to stroke and diabetes patients.

VTHH and VCH both earned Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition. VTHH also earned Get With The Guidelines – Rural Stroke Silver recognition.

The Get With The Guidelines – Stroke program measures how consistently hospitals follow the most current, evidence-based treatment guidelines for stroke patients — from door-to-needle time for clot-busting therapy to discharge planning that reduces the risk of a second stroke.

The Rural Recognition tier specifically honors hospitals that deliver that same standard of care in communities without the resources of a large urban medical center. For people in Coffee, Franklin, Moore and surrounding counties, the awards mean VTHH is meeting nationally benchmarked standards for how fast, and how well, those patients are evaluated, treated and transitioned to recovery care.

“Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital is honored and excited to see our hard work lead to this distinguished stroke center designation,” said Rich Ellis, MBA, President of VTHH. “The Get With The Guidelines program sets a very high bar for stroke treatment. By adopting and hardwiring these best practices, we are significantly enhancing the stroke care that we offer our patients in the Tullahoma region.”

The Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll layered onto the Gold Plus award reflects the close connection between stroke and diabetes care. Patients with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of stroke, and the honor roll recognizes hospitals that go the extra step of managing that comorbidity as part of stroke treatment.

The recognition at VTHH reflects the dedication and collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, including Stephanie Crago, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator; nursing leaders Kathy Watts, RN, ED Director; Sherry Shepherd, RN, ED Manager; Lynn Carlisle, RN, ICU Director; and Elaine Niblett, RN, Med Surg Director; Mary Thompson, Imaging Director; physician champions Osama Ibrahim, MD, Cardiology, and Jason Lesnick, MD, Emergency Medicine; as well as Jerri Brown, Accreditation and Standards, Purav Patel, MD, Hospitalist Medicine, and Eric Wallace, MD, Radiology.

“Together, these leaders and front-line clinicians built the systems, processes and culture of collaboration that drive timely, high-quality stroke care and better outcomes for patients. Their collective commitment to excellence and continuous quality improvement made this achievement possible,” said Ellis.

Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital

At VCH in Montgomery County and the surrounding region, the recognition means the hospital’s stroke teams’ care for patients with diabetes as a comorbidity meeting nationally benchmarked standards for managing the condition as part of overall patient care. This is a distinction the AHA grants to hospitals that consistently follow its most current, evidence-based guidelines.

“Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Randy Davis, MBA, President of VCH. “Get With The Guidelines helps our teams put proven science into practice every day. Research shows this approach can support better recovery, with the ultimate goal of helping people in Clarksville and the surrounding communities live longer, healthier lives.”

This recognition reflects the dedication and collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, including Ariel Chavis, Stroke Program Coordinator; nursing leaders Heather Myers, ED Director; Megan Keyt, ED Manager; Sharon Brovey, ICU Director; Courtney Reed, ICU Manager; and Alex Kane, Med Surg Manager; physician champions Nida Augustine, MD, and Christopher Turner, MD; as well as members of the VCH administrative team, Quality and Imaging department leaders, and VH enterprise support.

“Their collective commitment to excellence in patient care and quality improvement made this achievement possible,” said Davis.

Earning these honors in the same cycle underscores both hospitals’ continued investment in high-acuity, guideline-driven care close to home and reinforces their roles as critical access points in Vanderbilt Health’s regional network.