DALLAS, September 22, 2021 - To help improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients in the United States, the American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives, has recognized 2,251 healthcare and emergency response organizations for their efforts to ensure cardiovascular patients receive efficient and coordinated care, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer returns to the hospital.
Through the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® and Mission: Lifeline® programs, participating hospitals, clinics and EMS systems apply for the award recognition by demonstrating their commitment to improving quality care for patients and reducing barriers to prompt treatment for cardiovascular events. Award categories include treatment for stroke, high cholesterol, cardiac arrest, heart failure, STEMI heart attack and AFIB; award levels range from gold to bronze status depending on the number of requirements met for each designation.
This year's recipients include healthcare systems from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
"Despite the challenges faced by many healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's American Heart Association Achievement Award recipients continued to make cardiovascular treatment a priority and reinforced their commitment to ensuring quality care for those patients with cardiovascular conditions," said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, chair of the quality oversight committee, past president of the American Heart Association and executive vice president of health system affairs for UT Southwestern Medical Center. "This commitment to consistent quality is the basis for the quality improvement programs the American Heart Association has championed for more than 20 years. But it can only be accomplished by our counterparts in real-world situations across the country."
Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of cardiovascular disease - including heart attack, stroke and heart failure[1]. For patients with conditions that are severe enough to be transported or admitted to a hospital, time is critical.
Visit US News & World Report to view the full list of recipients by state and award. Learn more about Get With The Guidelines or Mission: Lifeline at www.heart.org/qualityimprovement.
