More Than 3,000 Hospitals Recognized for Advancing High-Quality Cardiovascular Care

The American Heart Association has recognized more than 3,000 health care organizations nationwide for their commitment to improving outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease and stroke. These recognitions are part of the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement programs, which help health care teams apply the latest evidence-based science to treatment decisions, ensuring care is timely, consistent, and aligned with proven standards.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. The need for coordinated, high-quality care is critical. The Get With The Guidelines awards span clinical areas including stroke, heart failure, heart attack, cardiac arrest, Type 2 diabetes, and atrial fibrillation, with recognition levels ranging from Bronze to Gold Plus. This year, 222 hospitals received the Commitment to Quality award, up from 158 in the award's inaugural year last year. This award recognizes organizations demonstrating high performance across at least three clinical areas.

“Improving outcomes for cardiovascular disease takes coordinated, high-quality care across the entire continuum,” said Karen Joynt-Maddox, M.D., MPH, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association's Quality Oversight Committee. “The organizations recognized this year are applying the latest science, strengthening systems of care and working together to ensure more patients receive the right treatment at the right time, every time.”

In addition to the Get With The Guidelines awards, 624 agencies received Mission: Lifeline EMS awards for providing rapid, research-based care to patients experiencing the most severe forms of heart attacks and strokes. Forty-seven sites received Mission: Lifeline Regional recognition for their commitment to working with referring and receiving hospital partners, as well as EMS, to establish systems of care based on the most up-to-date guidelines. The Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment from the moment 911 is called, through EMS transport, and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge.

New this year is the Target: Aortic Stenosis Honor Roll, part of an initiative to improve detection and treatment of aortic stenosis, a common and often underdiagnosed heart valve disease. Aortic stenosis affects more than 1.7 million Americans over age 65 and, without appropriate treatment, can significantly impact survival and quality of life, according to the Association's 2026 statistical update. Forty-one organizations received this recognition. Edwards Lifesciences is the national sponsor of the Association's Target: Aortic Stenosis initiative.

Studies show that following guideline-directed care can help patients recover faster, reduce complications, and lower the risk of hospital readmission. The growing number of recognized organizations demonstrates continued momentum among health care teams to standardize care, reduce variation, and improve patient outcomes. The full list of recipients is available at U.S. News & World Report. More information about the American Heart Association's quality improvement efforts can be found at heart.org/quality.