09/04/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/04/2025 12:12
Hospitals earn national awards for stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular care, including recognition with the new Commitment to Quality Award
Key Highlights
Nearly all of Prime Healthcare hospitals nationwide earned American Heart Association recognition in 2025.
Three Prime hospitals received the newCommitment to Quality Award, placing them among only 158 hospitals nationwide with this distinction.
Awards recognize excellence in stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes-related care.
Achievements reflect Prime's mission to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered care that improves outcomes, reduces readmissions, and saves lives.
ONTARIO, Calif. (August XX, 2025) - The American Heart Association has recognized 84% of Prime Healthcare hospitals nationwide with Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for 2025, underscoring Prime's national leadership in cardiovascular care and quality improvement. Hospitals across 13 states earned awards for excellence in stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes-related care, reflecting Prime Healthcare's system-wide commitment to evidence-based practices that save lives, improve recovery, and reduce hospital readmissions.
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association 2025 Statistical Update. Preventing cardiovascular deaths depends on a unified care approach rooted in evidence-based clinical treatments and collaboration.
Get With The Guidelines programs help care teams use the latest science to guide treatment decisions. Studies show that following treatment guidelines can help people recover faster, avoid complications, and reduce their chances of returning to the hospital. The programs are designed to ensure patients receive timely, consistent, and research-backed care.
This year, the American Heart Association introduced a new Commitment to Quality Award to recognize hospitals that achieve Silver level or higher in at least three Get With The Guidelines programs within the same year. The award reflects not only excellence in one area, but a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular care across multiple specialties, including stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes management.
Three Prime hospitals - St. Joseph Medical Center (MO), St. Mary's Medical Center (MO), and Saint Clare's Denville Hospital (NJ) - are among only 158 hospitals nationwide to receive this distinction in 2025.
"These awards show Prime Healthcare's commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care," said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association's Quality Oversight Committee. "By following the American Heart Association's quality improvement protocols, Prime Healthcare can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a win for health care systems, families and communities."
"We are honored for nearly all of our Prime hospitals to be recognized by the AHA for exceptional cardiac care. Heart disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and as a cardiologist, cardiac care is close to my heart. With 84% of Prime hospitals recognized, these awards highlight the extraordinary work of our physicians, nurses, and staff," said Sunny Bhatia, MD, President and Chief Medical Officer of Prime Healthcare. "This achievement reflects our commitment to evidence-based care and reaffirms our mission to revitalize hospitals, improve outcomes, and serve communities with compassion and excellence."
Prime Healthcare has a proven record of revitalizing hospitals while improving quality outcomes and operational performance. Its hospitals have been nationally recognized, appearing 72 times on the 100 Top Hospitals list by Premier and earning awards for quality and health equity from the Lown Institute. Recently, 18 Prime hospitals were recognized by U.S. News & World Report for consistently delivering care at or above the national standard, and 16 received Patient Safety Excellence Awards from Healthgrades.
Prime Healthcare 2025 American Heart Association Awards
Stroke Awards - 35 Hospitals
Elite Plus / Advanced Therapy
Elite Honor Roll
Honor Roll
Gold Plus Base Recognition
Heart Failure Awards - 24 Hospitals
Gold Plus + Target Type 2 Diabetes + Target HF Optimal Honor Roll
Gold Plus + Target Type 2 Diabetes
Silver Plus + Target Type 2 Diabetes + Target HF Optimal Honor Roll
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Awards - 4 Hospitals
AFIB Award - 1 Hospital
Commitment to Quality Award - 3 Hospitals
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