The American Heart Association (AHA) announced recognition of more than 3,000 health care organizations nationwide for their commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by heart disease, stroke and related conditions. The acknowledgments are part of the AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® quality improvement programs and reflect adherence to evidence-based, guideline-directed care. The announcement underscores that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States per the AHA’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics and that improving survival depends on timely, coordinated, evidence-based treatment.
Get With The Guidelines programs support clinical teams in applying the latest research and guideline recommendations to patient care. The programs aim to make care more timely, consistent and aligned with proven standards. Awards under this umbrella cover multiple 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, signaling sustained adherence to guideline-based processes.
In the previous year, the AHA introduced the Commitment to Quality award to highlight organizations demonstrating high performance across at least three clinical areas within Get With The Guidelines. In 2026, 222 hospitals received the Commitment to Quality award, an increase from 158 in the award’s inaugural year. The award is intended to recognize comprehensive, cross-cutting excellence in implementing evidence-based care across multiple cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions.
Beyond hospital-based recognitions, the AHA acknowledged emergency response organizations through its Mission: Lifeline® program. A total of 624 agencies received Mission: Lifeline EMS awards for delivering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing severe heart attacks and strokes. In addition, 47 sites earned Mission: Lifeline Regional recognition, which rewards commitment to coordinated systems of care that involve referring and receiving hospital partners as well as emergency medical services. The Mission: Lifeline program focuses on reducing barriers to prompt treatment from the 911 call through EMS transport, hospital treatment and discharge.
The AHA introduced the Target: Aortic Stenosis Honor Roll in 2026 as part of an initiative to improve detection and treatment of aortic stenosis, a common and often underdiagnosed valvular heart disease. The Association’s 2026 statistical update reports that aortic stenosis affects more than 1.7 million Americans over age 65 and, if untreated, can adversely affect survival and quality of life. In the program’s first year, 41 organizations received the Target: Aortic Stenosis recognition. Edwards Lifesciences is noted as the national sponsor of the AHA’s Target: Aortic Stenosis initiative.
The AHA statement highlights published evidence that following guideline-directed care helps patients recover faster, reduces complications and lowers the risk of hospital readmission. The expanding number of recognized organizations is presented as evidence of growing momentum among health care teams to standardize care, reduce variation and improve outcomes by applying the latest science and strengthening systems of care.
Karen Joynt-Maddox, M.D., MPH, volunteer chair of the AHA Quality Oversight Committee and associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine, is quoted emphasizing the need for coordinated, high-quality care across the continuum. She states that the recognized organizations are working to ensure more patients receive the right treatment at the right time, every time.
The AHA directs readers to U.S. News & World Report to view the full list of recipients. For more information on the Association’s quality improvement efforts and resources, the release points to heart.org/quality. The AHA also lists additional resources including Quality Near Me, Quality Research & Publications, and Featured Quality Research pages on the Association’s website.
The release includes an organizational overview noting that the American Heart Association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, funding research, advocating for public health and providing resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. The AHA describes its work in driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy and care. Contact information and media inquiry details were provided in the announcement.