PULLMAN, WA — Pullman Regional Hospital has earned multiple national Quality Achievement Awards from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® program, recognizing timely, evidence-based care for patients experiencing STEMI heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. Staff members will be showcasing their work at the Rural Stroke Learning Collaborative panel discussion, hosted by the American Heart Association in November, as one of three hospitals invited to be on the panel.
Pullman Regional earned a Bronze Quality Achievement Award in STEMI care, for consistently using evidence-based practices with patients experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, a severe type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart.
“While STEMI represents a smaller proportion of our cardiac presentations, the need to be prepared is critical,” said Stephanie Knewbow, Registered Nurse and Director of Pullman Regional’s Emergency Department and the hospital’s Stroke Program Coordinator. Pullman Regional treated eight STEMI patients in 2025 and consistently met or exceeded key time goals for rapid evaluation and treatment, including an average “door-to-EKG” time of 10 minutes or less.
“STEMI is a high-risk, time-sensitive emergency, and we have to be ready to respond when it happens,” said Bekah Herndon, RN, Program Coordinator for Heart Failure and Stroke Quality Care at Pullman Regional Hospital. “We may not see these events every day, but when someone in our community has a heart attack, they deserve the safest and quickest care. Rural healthcare does not mean subpar healthcare.”
Pullman Regional has also earned Gold Quality Achievement Awards for both heart failure and stroke care through the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Pullman Regional cared for approximately 40 hospitalized patients with heart failure in 2025 and uses diagnostic tools, including cardiac ultrasound, to help evaluate heart function and guide treatment.
The hospital also cared for 59 stroke patients in 2025, with rapid emergency response times that exceeded national benchmarks. The average time from arrival in the Emergency Department to initial evaluation was 6.6 minutes, faster than the national standard of ten minutes.
“Meeting and exceeding time goals is essential to saving lives,” Herndon said. “The heart and brain are time-sensitive organs. Our team works hard to make sure that when patients come through our doors with a heart attack or stroke, we are prepared to move quickly and provide the right care.”
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program is a hospital-based quality improvement initiative designed to help healthcare teams follow the latest research-based guidelines for cardiovascular and stroke care. Recognition through the program reflects sustained performance and adherence to quality measures over multiple quarters.
“We want patients to have confidence in the resources available to them at their local hospital,” said Verna Yockey, Director of Inpatient Services at Pullman Regional Hospital. “Choosing to hold ourselves accountable to the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines standards demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality of care in Pullman. Recognition in heart failure, STEMI and stroke care reinforces that commitment.”
Know the signs
Recognizing the signs of a heart attack or stroke—and seeking emergency care immediately—can make a critical difference.
Signs of a heart attack may include:
- Chest pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain
- Pain or discomfort in the arm, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness
Signs of a stroke can be remembered with BE FAST:
- B — Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
- E — Eyes: Sudden vision changes
- F — Face: One side of the face droops
- A — Arms: One arm is week or numb
- S — Speech: Speech is slurred or difficult to understand
- T — Time: Call 911 immediately
“If you or someone with you experiences symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately. Emergency medical services can begin care before a patient reaches the hospital and help the Emergency Department prepare for the patient’s arrival,” says Knewbow.
For patients on the Palouse, these awards provide another reason to have confidence in their local hospital.
“We are continually working hard to ensure that heart and stroke care are accessible, reliable and held to a high standard,” said Tammy Dahl, Chief Nursing Officer. “Our community can trust that when an emergency happens, Pullman Regional Hospital is ready.”
Media Contact
Alison Weigley, Director of Strategic Planning & Business Development
Public Information Officer
Pullman Regional Hospital
Office: (509) 332-2041 / Cell: (509) 330-0242
alison.weigley@pullmanregional.org
