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 cardiovascular disease and stroke. 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. This year's awards include a new recognition for valvular heart disease, specifically aortic stenosis.
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, and evidence-based care. The Get With The Guidelines programs are designed to ensure that care is 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. Recognition levels range from Bronze to Gold Plus, based on performance and duration of achievement.
Last year, the association introduced the 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 its inaugural year. This growth reflects the increasing momentum among health care teams to standardize care and reduce variation.
"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 providing rapid, research-based care to people experiencing the most severe forms of heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, 47 sites received Mission: Lifeline Regional recognition for their work with referring and receiving hospital partners and EMS to establish coordinated systems of care. The Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment, from the moment 911 is called through hospital 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. Forty-one organizations received this recognition. Edwards Lifesciences is the national sponsor of the 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 the commitment of health care teams nationwide to improving patient outcomes. The full list of recipients is available at U.S. News & World Report, and more information about the association's quality improvement efforts can be found at heart.org/quality.
