The American Heart Association recognized 113 hospitals in Illinois for their commitment to improving care for patients with heart disease and stroke through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement program. Nationwide, more than 3,000 hospitals participate in the program, which aims to align clinical practice with current research-based treatment guidelines.
The AHA announced the Illinois recognitions as part of its ongoing effort to highlight institutions that implement structured quality improvement processes to improve patient care for acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions.
Get With The Guidelines supports hospitals by providing tools and processes that promote adherence to evidence-based care. Participating sites use real-time data, clinical best practices and performance feedback to drive improvements in care delivery. The program covers conditions including stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease (CAD).
According to the AHA announcement, the program encourages use of standardized treatment pathways and continuous quality review to ensure care reflects the latest guideline recommendations.
The AHA notes that participation in Get With The Guidelines has been associated with better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality. The program also has been shown to reduce disparities in care for several populations. Since its launch more than two decades ago, millions of patient records have contributed to registries that inform research and support real-world improvements in cardiovascular care.
Michele Bolles, AHA senior vice president of quality, outcomes research and analytics, emphasized the frequency of acute cardiovascular events and the importance of accessible high-quality care, stating: “Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke or heart attack.” The AHA framed award recognition as part of a shared vision to expand health and hope for everyone.
Hospitals in Illinois received recognition across multiple Get With The Guidelines categories. The state awardees were recognized under:
In Chicago specifically, 13 hospitals received recognition across these categories, with several institutions earning Gold and Gold Plus distinctions. The AHA highlighted these distinctions as markers of progressive adherence to program expectations and performance measures.
The announcement directs readers to a full list of Illinois awardees published by U.S. News & World Report for details on specific hospitals and distinctions.
Get With The Guidelines registries collect millions of patient records accumulated over the program’s more than two decades of operation. These registries serve multiple purposes: they provide participating hospitals with benchmarking and performance feedback, enable quality improvement initiatives at the facility level, and contribute data for research into real-world clinical outcomes and best practices.
The AHA describes this cycle of data collection, feedback and practice change as central to driving measurable improvements in cardiovascular care across participating institutions.
The AHA announcement includes links to additional resources and directs clinicians and the public to learn more at heart.org/getwiththeguidelines. The complete list of Illinois awardees can be found through the referenced U.S. News & World Report listing for the AHA recognitions.
These resources provide information on program participation, award criteria and the specific categories under which hospitals may be recognized.
The American Heart Association describes itself as an organization dedicated to longer, healthier lives and equitable health in all communities. It funds research, advocates for public health and provides resources to improve care for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
For media inquiries related to this announcement, the AHA lists a contact: Jorie Goins at Jorie.Goins@Heart.org. For public inquiries, the organization provides a national phone number: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721). The AHA also encourages connection through its websites heart.org and stroke.org.
Notes: The source announcement provides the recognitions, program description, quoted comment from Michele Bolles, the list of Illinois award categories, the numbers of participating hospitals in Illinois and nationwide, and where to find the full list of awardees. No additional performance data or hospital-specific outcomes beyond what the AHA released were reported in the source.