Union Leader - January 28, 2017 Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua has been recognized for implementing the latest research-based treatment guidelines for stroke patients through the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke quality improvement program. Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, a Gold Plus level recipient, is among 1,186 hospitals receiving a Get With the Guidelines-Stroke award this year. This is the fifth consecutive year the medical center has received this recognition. More than 1,300 hospitals received awards for their achievements in heart, stroke and resuscitation care. All recipients are featured in a special advertisement in the 2016 issue of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals." Get With The Guidelines is a hospital-based quality improvement program created to ensure hospitals consistently care for heart and stroke patients using the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. With Get With the Guidelines-Stroke treatment guidelines, stroke patients are started on aggressive therapies and medications that can help improve patient care and outcomes. Hospitals must follow these measures at a set level for a designated period of time to be eligible for the achievement awards. Published scientific studies provide evidence that adhering to Get With The Guidelines quality measures can result in better patient outcomes, including increased survival. "We are proud that the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has chosen the 'America's Best Hospitals' issue of U.S. News & World Report to recognize Southern New Hampshire Medical Center for our achievements in their quality improvement programs," said Corin DeChirico, DO, FACP, chief quality officer, associate vice president of medical affairs, medical director, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. "Get With The Guidelines gives our healthcare team the tools to enhance the treatment and care of our patients and highlights our ongoing commitment to the health of our community." According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.