On August 24, 2026, the American Heart Association announced that 42 hospitals across Orange County, the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley were being recognized for their commitment to improving care for patients with heart disease and stroke. The recognition reflects participation in the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines quality improvement programs, which support hospitals in implementing evidence‑based, research‑aligned clinical practices.
Participating hospitals were acknowledged for their efforts to deliver guideline‑directed care and to use continuous performance feedback and data to drive improvements in care processes and outcomes.
Get With The Guidelines is a quality improvement program through which hospitals use real‑time data, clinical best practices and performance feedback to improve adherence to evidence‑based care. The program addresses multiple cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, including stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease.
According to the AHA release, the program has operated for more than two decades and involves more than 3,000 hospitals nationwide. Millions of patient records from participating hospitals contribute to registries that inform research and real‑world improvements in cardiovascular care.
The AHA statement notes that participation in Get With The Guidelines has been associated with better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality. The program has also been shown to reduce disparities in care for several populations, supporting equitable improvement in clinical performance across diverse patient groups.
The AHA listed the following hospitals in Orange County as recognized participants:
These hospitals were named in the release for their engagement with the AHA program to advance evidence‑based cardiovascular and stroke care.
The AHA release named the following Inland Empire hospitals as recognized participants:
(As published, the Inland Empire list includes Bear Valley Community Healthcare District twice in the release.)
The following Coachella Valley hospitals were listed in the announcement:
The AHA release highlights that Get With The Guidelines participation has been associated with measurable improvements in clinical outcomes. Specifically, the program has been linked to better patient outcomes, fewer hospital readmissions and lower mortality. The release also notes evidence that the program can reduce care disparities for certain populations, reflecting the AHA’s emphasis on equitable health improvements.
The AHA underscored the ongoing public health importance of these efforts by citing the 2026 AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report, which lists heart disease as the leading cause of death and stroke as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Those conditions, the release says, require rapid, evidence‑based treatment to achieve the best outcomes.
The release directs readers to heart.org/getwiththeguidelines for more information about the program. For media inquiries, the release lists Daniel Ruacho (daniel.ruacho@heart.org) as a contact. For public inquiries, the AHA provides 1‑800‑AHA‑USA1 (1‑800‑242‑8721).
The AHA describes itself in the release as an organization dedicated to improving cardiovascular health, advancing research, advocating for public health and providing educational resources. The release notes the organization’s long history of health information and its global volunteer base. The announcement emphasizes the AHA’s role in funding research, influencing policy and implementing proven solutions in science and care delivery to advance population health.
Additional resources and organizational contacts are provided in the release, and readers are referred to heart.org and stroke.org for broader AHA/American Stroke Association information and materials.