The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines® awards for proven dedication to best practices, life-saving care

For an eighth consecutive year, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s  Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award for demonstrating a commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease, 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, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital qualified for the awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular care.

“SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital is committed to delivering high-quality care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely, appropriate care for heart attacks and strokes,” according to Tadeo Diaz Balderrama, MD, SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic Cardiovascular Services chief. “Get With The Guidelines programs help our teams put proven science into practice every day, supporting better outcomes so more people in the Fond du Lac area can live longer, healthier lives.”

Each year, program participants qualify for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for heart failure patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their heart failure at home.

“These awards reflect SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital’s commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” according to Karen E. Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, SSM Health St. Agnes 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.”

Additionally, St. Agnes Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.       

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 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

Date posted: July 17, 2026