CLARKSTON, WA – TriState Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Rural Gold Award, recognizing its efforts to improve stroke care for patients in rural communities.

The award highlights hospitals that demonstrate excellence in acute stroke care through adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines. For TriState Health, that includes compliance with standards for intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely patient transfers, dysphagia screening, brain imaging, expert consultation, and communication with emergency medical services.

Rural communities face significant health disparities compared to urban areas, including a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and a 30% increased risk of stroke mortality. TriState Chief Nursing Officer Jacqueline Mossakowski said the recognition reflects the hospital’s commitment to closing those gaps.

“As a hospital in a rural community, we deal with characteristics, such as extended interfacility transportation times, and limited staffing resources. We’ve made it a goal to make sure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our stroke patients receive,” Mossakowski said. “Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I’m proud of our team for their commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement”.

Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, a co-author on the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health, noted the broader impact of TriState’s work. “TriState Health has furthered this important work to improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live,” she said.

TriState Health, founded in 1955, serves an eight-county region across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. The Clarkston-based hospital has been recognized with several honors in recent years, including Best of the Inland Northwest 2025, Get With The Guidelines Silver Plus in Stroke 2024, and the Chartis Performance Leadership Award in Outcomes 2024.