UConn Health John Dempsey Hospital received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus for 10th Consecutive Year
UConn Health Emergency Entrance (Ethan Giorgetti/UConn Health)
UConn Health John Dempsey Hospital received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® –
Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to delivering timely stroke care based on evidence-based guidelines to improve patient outcomes.
This is the tenth consecutive year that UConn Health John Dempsey Hospital has received the Gold Plus award.
"This honor is a reflection of the talent, dedication, and teamwork of our clinical staff," said Dr. Andy Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health. "We are proud to provide Connecticut residents with access to quality, evidence-based stroke and cardiovascular care that continues to save lives."
In addition to the Gold Plus award, UConn Health John Dempsey Hospital received the following awards from the American Heart Association:
- Stroke Honor Roll Elite
- Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Heart Failure Silver Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes
The Honor Roll Elite award is given to hospitals that have met specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and their treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
The Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll ensures that 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.
Hospitals receiving the Heart Failure Optimal award meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination, and enhance patient education. The optimal designation means that a hospital has performed 50% or better for defect-free care.
The STEMI Receiving Center Gold recognizes a hospital's commitment to providing rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), considered more severe and life-threatening than other types of heart attacks.
Stroke is the number four 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.
