HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital nationally recognized for commitment to excellence in stroke care
~American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award for commitment to delivering evidence-based, life-saving stroke care~
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. – HCA Florida Fort Walton Beach 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.
An Accredited Advanced Primary Stroke Center, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy – the use of clot-dissolving drugs to break down blood clots, improving blood flow to vital organs. Additionally, the hospital received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award, recognizing the hospitals dedication to ensuring 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.
"At HCA Florida Fort Walton Beach Hospital, we are committed to providing exceptional stroke care by following the latest evidence-based treatment guidelines," said KC Donahey, CEO of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. "Receiving this recognition reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and multidisciplinary care teams, who work together every day to deliver timely, life-saving care when every second counts. Through the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines program, we continue to turn the latest research into better outcomes, helping more patients in Northwest Florida recover, regain their independence and live healthier lives."
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.
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About HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is a 331-bed full-service hospital. It is the only Level II Trauma Center in the tri-county area and has nearly 200 physicians whose expertise covers a wide range of specialties. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is also the only acute care hospital in the tri-county area that offers open heart surgery, an Accredited Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Cancer Care Center that is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and an Associate of the UAB Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. The hospital also offers the area's only in-house midwifery program. In addition to the main hospital emergency department, emergency healthcare is available 24/7 at HCA Florida Destin Emergency and 24/7 at HCA Florida Navarre Emergency. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is also home to the only inpatient acute care rehab facility in the tri-county area – HCA Florida Northwest Rehabilitation Center, located in Destin.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is one of Florida’s leading healthcare networks. Its 11,200 physicians and 80,000 colleagues work together to deliver evidence-based, collaborative care through nearly 12.8 million patient encounters annually. With more than 670 connected care sites—including hospitals, physician practices, urgent care centers and freestanding emergency rooms—across the state, HCA Florida Healthcare helps expand access to the specialized care patients need. HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals are annually recognized for excellence in patient experience and clinical outcomes, including three facilities ranked in the top 2% nationally for overall clinical excellence. A leader in healthcare education, HCA Florida Healthcare supports the next generation of healthcare workers through its 153 graduate medical education programs across 29 hospitals. In 2025, the network provided more than $1.1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.5 million to community organizations across the state. 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 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
