Barrow Earns Award for Timely, Evidence-Based Stroke Care
Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has once again received a quality achievement award from the American Heart Association® for its dedication to delivering timely stroke treatment in accordance with nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines.
The Association granted the 2026 Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke awards based on data collected between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2025. Within that timeframe, Barrow achieved door-to-needle times within 60 minutes for at least 85 percent of eligible patients—earning the Target: Stroke™ Honor Roll Elite status. “Door-to-needle time” describes how long it takes a patient to receive clot-busting medication after arriving at a health care facility. For every hour a stroke goes untreated, the brain loses 120 million neurons—the equivalent of 3.6 years of normal brain aging.
Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked by a clot or, less commonly, bursts open. Both events deprive brain cells of the oxygen-rich blood they need to function and cause those cells to die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to saving lives, accelerating recovery times, and minimizing long-term deficits.
The Barrow Difference: A Multidisciplinary, Comprehensive Approach
In addition to adhering to clinical treatment guidelines, hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke program demonstrate a commitment to patient education—empowering patients to manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.
Supporting patients as they reintegrate into the community and preventing future strokes are core objectives of the Petznick Stroke Center at Barrow, which cares for more stroke patients than any other facility in the Southwestern United States. The Center has also met the rigorous standards for designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
“Every member—from EMS and emergency medicine to nursing, imaging, pharmacy, neurology, neurointerventional surgery, rehabilitation, and support staff—plays a vital role in delivering timely, evidence-based care for our patients. This achievement reflects our shared commitment to continuous quality improvement, collaboration, and providing the highest standard of stroke care to our community.”
-Joyce K. Lee-Iannotti, MD, FAAN, FAASM, Interim Director, Petznick Stroke Center at Barrow
Barrow also earned the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll distinction as part of its 2026 Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke award. This acknowledges the Institute’s efforts to ensure patients with type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for stroke complications, receive the most up-to-date, research-backed care when hospitalized due to a stroke.
“Receiving the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire multidisciplinary stroke team,” said Joyce K. Lee-Iannotti, MD, FAAN, FAASM, interim director of the Petznick Stroke Center. “Every member—from EMS and emergency medicine to nursing, imaging, pharmacy, neurology, neurointerventional surgery, rehabilitation, and support staff—plays a vital role in delivering timely, evidence-based care for our patients. This achievement reflects our shared commitment to continuous quality improvement, collaboration, and providing the highest standard of stroke care to our community.”