NEWS
Saint Peter’s University Hospital is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Excellence in Stroke Care
August 12, 2026
New Brunswick, N.J. – August 12, 2026 – Saint Peter’s University Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus 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 fourth 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. The in-hospital protocols are designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
“Every minute matters when someone is experiencing a stroke because brain cells begin to die within minutes of losing blood flow,” said Anita K. Mehta, DO, MS, medical director of the Stroke Program at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “Receiving the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus award reflects Saint Peter’s commitment to providing rapid diagnosis, timely treatment, and coordinated, evidence-based care from the moment a patient arrives through recovery. By following nationally recognized best practices, we are helping improve outcomes, reduce disability, and give more patients the opportunity to return to their families and their daily lives.”
Saint Peter’s University Hospital is recognized as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, which confirms it demonstrates adherence to clinical practice guidelines for stroke patients, use of data to guide practice/program planning, and promulgation of guidelines throughout hospital policies and practices. Saint Peter’s has also 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.
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 Saint Peter’s for its commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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 healthcare systems, families and communities.”
Know the Signs of Stroke: BE FAST
Recognizing the warning signs of a stroke and calling 911 immediately can save a life. The acronym BE FAST can help to remember the symptoms:
B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
E – Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
F – Face: One side of the face droops or feels numb; ask the person to smile
A – Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm; ask the person to raise both arms
S – Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding others
T – Terrible headache: A sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone around you experiences any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Prompt treatment is critical and can significantly improve outcomes.
To learn more about Saint Peter’s stroke program, visit saintpetershcs.com/stroke.
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About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its seventh consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025, and its first Magnet with Distinction®, is also a state-designated children’s hospital and regional perinatal center, and a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, oncology, women’s services, pediatric surgery and pediatric cardiology/Fetal and Adult Congenital Heart Center. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care, neonatal intensive care, cardiac progressive care, and pediatric intensive care units. Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric cardiology, pediatric intensive care, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.
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.
Stroke is the fourth 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. The in-hospital protocols are designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
“Every minute matters when someone is experiencing a stroke because brain cells begin to die within minutes of losing blood flow,” said Anita K. Mehta, DO, MS, medical director of the Stroke Program at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “Receiving the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus award reflects Saint Peter’s commitment to providing rapid diagnosis, timely treatment, and coordinated, evidence-based care from the moment a patient arrives through recovery. By following nationally recognized best practices, we are helping improve outcomes, reduce disability, and give more patients the opportunity to return to their families and their daily lives.”
Saint Peter’s University Hospital is recognized as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, which confirms it demonstrates adherence to clinical practice guidelines for stroke patients, use of data to guide practice/program planning, and promulgation of guidelines throughout hospital policies and practices. Saint Peter’s has also 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.
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 Saint Peter’s for its commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, 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 healthcare systems, families and communities.”
Know the Signs of Stroke: BE FAST
Recognizing the warning signs of a stroke and calling 911 immediately can save a life. The acronym BE FAST can help to remember the symptoms:
B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
E – Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
F – Face: One side of the face droops or feels numb; ask the person to smile
A – Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm; ask the person to raise both arms
S – Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding others
T – Terrible headache: A sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone around you experiences any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Prompt treatment is critical and can significantly improve outcomes.
To learn more about Saint Peter’s stroke program, visit saintpetershcs.com/stroke.
# # #
About Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its seventh consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025, and its first Magnet with Distinction®, is also a state-designated children’s hospital and regional perinatal center, and a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, oncology, women’s services, pediatric surgery and pediatric cardiology/Fetal and Adult Congenital Heart Center. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care, neonatal intensive care, cardiac progressive care, and pediatric intensive care units. Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric cardiology, pediatric intensive care, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.
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.