The American Heart Association has recognized more than 3,000 health care organizations across the United States for their commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart disease, stroke, and related conditions. These recognitions, part of the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement programs, underscore the critical role that evidence-based, coordinated care plays in addressing the nation's leading cause of death.
Get With The Guidelines programs help health care teams apply the latest scientific evidence to treatment decisions, ensuring that care is timely, consistent, and aligned with proven standards. Awards are given across 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 based on performance and duration of achievement. This year, the Association also introduced a new honor roll for aortic stenosis, a common and often underdiagnosed heart valve disease that affects more than 1.7 million Americans over age 65.
The growing number of recognized organizations reflects a nationwide momentum among health care teams to standardize care, reduce variation, and improve patient outcomes. Studies show that following guideline-directed care can help patients recover faster, reduce complications, and lower the risk of hospital readmission. The American Heart Association's quality improvement programs are designed to help health care teams implement these guidelines effectively.
In addition to the Get With The Guidelines awards, the Association recognized 624 agencies with Mission: Lifeline EMS awards for offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing severe 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 a system of care based on the most up-to-date guidelines. The Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment, from the 911 call through hospital discharge.
New for this year is the Target: Aortic Stenosis Honor Roll, part of an initiative to improve detection and treatment of aortic stenosis. Forty-one organizations received this recognition. Edwards Lifesciences is the national sponsor of the initiative.
"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."
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.
