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Fauquier Health Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Excellence in Stroke Care

Human InterestCommunityPress ReleaseGeneral News Article

 

Pictured (l to r) Brandi Burch, BSN, RN, CEN, Director Emergency Services; Toni Maxwell, APRN, FNP-BC, CNO, Fauquier Health; Roy Clowser, Director of Medical Imaging; Jess Ross, RN, PCCN, Director of Acute/Critical Care Services.

Fauquier Health Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Excellence in Stroke Care
The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus award for demonstrating commitment to delivering evidence-based, life-saving stroke care.
 
WARRENTON, VIRGINIA, June 29, 2026 – Fauquier Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability.
 
Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.
 
Get With The Guidelines brings the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association into hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
 
“Fauquier Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Toni Maxwell, APRN, FNP-BC, Chief Nursing Officer. “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 live longer, healthier lives. Receiving this recognition is a testament to the incredible work our staff does each and every day to ensure our patients receive the very best care.”
 
Each year, participating hospitals qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality stroke care. In addition to following clinical treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to help people manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.

“We are proud to recognize Fauquier Health for its commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities.”

Fauquier Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Rolls Award. Target Type 2 Diabetes 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 due to stroke.
 
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About Fauquier Health
Fauquier Health is a community health system dedicated to high-quality, patient-centered care. Nationally recognized twice as a Top General Hospital by the Leapfrog Group – the only one in Virginia – and accredited by the Joint Commission, Fauquier Health has achieved recognition with an Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care, and as a Certified Primary Stroke Center, Center of Excellence for Joint Replacement, as well as being accredited Chest Pain Center. Fauquier Health includes a fully accredited, 97-bed acute care hospital; The Villa at Suffield Meadows, an assisted living facility; and multiple physician’s offices, including primary care, gastroenterology, general surgery, OB/GYN and specialty practices. More information on Fauquier Health is available online at www.FauquierHealth.org.
 
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

Fauquier Health Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Excellence in Stroke Care