September 29, 2025- Kissimmee, Fla. – HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and its certified comprehensive stroke center have received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“HCA Florida Osceola Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality patient care in the region by adhering to the latest stroke treatment guidelines,” said David Shimp, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put evidence-based guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in Osceola, Orange and Polk counties live longer, healthier lives.”
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for 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 for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“We are incredibly pleased to recognize HCA Florida Osceola Hospital for its commitment to caring for patients with 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, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
In addition, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll 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.
As a certified comprehensive stroke center, the hospital also meets specific scientific guidelines, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
About HCA Florida Osceola Hospital:
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited 407-bed tertiary hospital and a designated Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is a teaching hospital in collaboration with UCF College of Medicine and offers the highest level of heart and stroke care in Osceola County at the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, respectively.
Other only-in-the-county services include: the highest level of Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU Level III) in affiliation with Nemours Children’s Health, Acute Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation and Inpatient Mental Health and Wellness. HCA Florida Osceola Hospital also provides robotic surgery in General Surgery, Spine, Orthopedic, Gynecology, Urology and Oncology. 24/7 emergency services include Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and four free-standing emergency rooms: Hunter’s Creek Emergency, Millenia Emergency, Airport North Emergency and Osceola East Emergency. In addition to the Women and Children’s Services, the hospital offers outpatient services including the Osceola Imaging Center, Wound Healing Center, Kissimmee Physical Therapy Center, Kissimmee Surgery Center, and Mental Health and Wellness Outpatient Center. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
