Riverside Community Hospital, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, has received two American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, helping save lives, support recovery and reduce hospital readmissions.
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. Studies show patients can experience better outcomes when care teams consistently follow evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Get With The Guidelines puts 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 science-backed guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines programs, Riverside Community Hospital qualified for the awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular care.
"Every minute matters when someone is experiencing a heart attack or stroke," said Dr. Shesh Rao, chief medical officer at Riverside Community Hospital. "These awards recognize our team's unwavering commitment to delivering the right care at the right time, guided by the latest evidence. By consistently following proven treatment protocols, we're giving more patients the best possible chance for recovery and a healthier future."
Riverside Community Hospital received these achievement awards: Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus (four years in a row) and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll (two years in a row.)
“These awards reflect Riverside Community Hospital 's commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Riverside Community Hospital can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for patients, families and health care systems.”
In addition to its Gold Plus recognition, Riverside Community Hospital earned the American Heart Association's Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award for meeting rigorous standards that reduce the time to clot-busting treatment for eligible stroke patients. The hospital also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award, recognizing its commitment to providing evidence-based care for stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, who are at increased risk for complications.
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 14 million patients since 2001.