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Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville has been recognized by the American Heart Association for its efforts to improve stroke care in rural communities.

The hospital earned the organization's Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Recognition Bronze award. The award recognizes rural hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to providing evidence-based stroke care and improving outcomes for patients while addressing health care disparities in rural areas.

According to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report, stroke is the nation's fourth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, cutting off blood flow and oxygen to brain tissue. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to improving survival and reducing long-term disability.

The American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines – Stroke program recognizes participating rural hospitals based on performance in early acute stroke care, using measures tailored to the challenges of rural health care delivery.

"We are proud that our team at Jane Phillips Medical Center is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Bartlesville and surrounding areas who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival," Tanner Holt, president of Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center, said in a statement. "Rural communities like Bartlesville deserve high-quality stroke care. I'm proud of our team's commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement."

Hospitals receiving the recognition demonstrate performance on guideline-directed measures that include timely administration of intravenous thrombolytic therapy, rapid interfacility transfers, dysphagia screening, documentation of symptom onset and neurological deficits, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and consultation with stroke specialists.

Karen E. Joynt Maddox, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee, said rural hospitals play a critical role in ensuring patients have access to timely stroke care despite geographic challenges.

"Patients and health care professionals in northeastern Oklahoma face unique health care challenges and opportunities," Joynt Maddox said in a statement. "Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center has advanced the important work of improving care for all Americans, regardless of where they live."