Saint Francis Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Heart Failure and Stroke Care
July 16, 2025Categories: Awards and Recognition
Saint Francis Hospital has once again received recognition from the American Heart Association for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart failure and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times, and fewer readmissions to the hospital. This year, Saint Francis received Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Awards for Heart Failure and Stroke.
The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines awards for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care.
Additionally, Saint Francis earned the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award along with both Gold Plus Awards. Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 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 6.7 million U.S. adults are living with heart failure (HF), a number that is expected to increase to more than 8 million by 2030, according to the American Heart Association. Despite the name, HF doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working – it means the heart is having a hard time pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. While there is no cure for HF, patients can live a quality life by working with their health care team to create and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring, and lifestyle changes.
Stroke is the fifth-ranked cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
The Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure quality achievement award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines. The program aims to increase healthy days at home and reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the guidelines established by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
“Saint Francis Hospital is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines for heart failure and strokes,” said Valerie Powell-Stafford, MHSA, FACHE, President, Saint Francis Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our talented teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better and helps us ensure more people in the greater Hartford region experience longer, healthier lives.”