The American Heart Association has recognized more than 3,000 health care organizations nationwide for their commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by heart disease, stroke, and related conditions. The recognition comes through the association's 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. Improving survival depends on health care teams delivering timely, coordinated, evidence-based care. The Get With The Guidelines programs address this by providing awards across clinical areas including stroke, heart failure, heart attack, cardiac arrest, Type 2 diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. Recognition levels range from Bronze to Gold Plus based on performance and duration of achievement.
This year, the association expanded its Commitment to Quality award, which highlights organizations demonstrating high performance across at least three clinical areas. In 2026, 222 hospitals are being recognized with this award, up from 158 in the award's inaugural year last year. "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 and associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine. "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, the association recognized 624 agencies with Mission: Lifeline EMS awards for offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing severe heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, 47 sites received Mission: Lifeline Regional recognition for their commitment to working with referring and receiving hospital partners and EMS to establish a system of care based on the most up-to-date research-based guidelines. The Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment, from when 911 is called, to 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 the Target: Aortic Stenosis 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 nationwide to standardize care, reduce variation, and improve patient outcomes. Visit U.S. News & World Report to view the full list of recipients and learn more about the American Heart Association's health care quality improvement efforts at heart.org/quality.
