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, and improving survival depends on health care teams delivering timely, coordinated, evidence-based care.
The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is recognizing more than 3,000 health care organizations nationwide for their commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by heart disease, stroke and related conditions through its Get With The Guidelines® quality improvement programs.
What is Get With The Guidelines and why does it matter?
Get With The Guidelines programs help health care teams apply the latest evidence-based science to treatment decisions, ensuring 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.
Last year, the Association debuted its Commitment to Quality award, highlighting organizations demonstrating high performance across at least three clinical areas. In 2026, 222 hospitals are being recognized with the Commitment to Quality award, up from 158 in the award's inaugural 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, associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine and co-director of the Washington University in St. Louis Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research. "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 the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, 47 sites received Mission: Lifeline Regional recognition, awarded for 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 research-based guidelines. The Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment — starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge.
New award introduced for valvular heart disease
New for this year is the Target: Aortic Stenosis Honor Roll, part of an initiative to improve detection and treatment of 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.
Guideline-directed care can improve outcomes, reduce readmissions
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 and learn more about the American Heart Association's health care quality improvement efforts at heart.org/quality.
