Atlanta, Ga (July 25, 2023) - Piedmont has received 14 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline put the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in both programs, Piedmont qualified for the awards by demonstrating how the organization has committed to improving quality care.

“Piedmont is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes and we continue to make improvements in our Neurosciences Line in Atlanta to make it one of the top programs in the country,” William Blincoe, M.D., Chief of Staff of Piedmont’s Physician Enterprise. “The Mission: Lifeline and Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in Georgia experience longer, healthier lives.”

This year, Piedmont hospitals received these achievement awards:

• Get With The Guidelines- Heart Failure GOLD with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center
• Get With The Guidelines- Stroke GOLD PLUS Award with Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, and Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll
  • Piedmont Atlanta Hospital
• Get With The Guidelines- Stroke Gold Plus Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Piedmont Augusta Hospital
  • Piedmont Eastside Medical Center
  • Piedmont Fayette Hospital
  • Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
  • Piedmont Newnan Hospital
  • Piedmont Newton Hospital
  • Piedmont Rockdale Hospital
• Get With The Guidelines- Stroke GOLD PLUS with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center
  • Piedmont Henry Hospital
• Get With The Guidelines- Stroke SILVER PLUS with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Piedmont Columbus Midtown
• Mission: Lifeline- NSTEMI- GOLD
  • Piedmont Macon Medical Center
• Mission: Lifeline-NSTEMI-SILVER
  • Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center
• Mission:Lifeline-STEMI Receiving Center- BRONZE PLUS
  • Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center

“We are pleased to recognize Piedmont for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, M.D., FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines.  For more information, visit heart.org.

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.