Five South Dakota Hospitals Recognized for Advancing Cardiovascular and Stroke Care Quality

5 hospitals in South Dakota are among the 4,800 nationwide that participate in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® initiative to improve outcomes for Americans who experience heart disease or stroke.

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. These health crises require swift and proven treatment to ensure the best outcomes for patients. The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of work to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere, sets the standards for high-quality, science-based care and access that all patients deserve.

“Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke or heart attack,” said Michele Bolles, American Heart Association senior vice president of quality, outcomes research and analytics. “High-quality care should be accessible to all, and sites awarded through the Get With The Guidelines program help work toward our shared vision of health and hope for everyone, everywhere.”

Each year, the American Heart Association recognizes hospitals across the country for consistently following up-to-date, research-based guidelines to ensure all patients have access to lifesaving care. In N.D., 36 hospitals were recognized this year:

• Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls

• Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, Rapid City

• Platte Health Center Avera, Platte

• Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls

• St. Michael’s Hospital Avera, Tyndall

Learn more at www.heart.org/getwiththeguidelines.