Saint Francis Hospital is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Excellence in Stroke Care
The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines® awards for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care.
HARTFORD, Conn. (July 13, 2026) – Saint Francis Hospital has once again received 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 stroke, helping save lives, support recovery and reduce hospital readmissions. This year, Saint Francis received the Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke GOLD PLUS Elite quality achievement award.
Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.
“Saint Francis Hospital is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines for heart failure and strokes,” said Robert Roose, MD, MPH, President, Saint Francis Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines helps our teams put proven science into practice every day. Research shows this approach can support better recovery, with the ultimate goal of helping people live longer, healthier lives.”
Get With The Guidelines brings the expertise of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association into hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program designed to improve stroke care through consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize long-term effects of stroke and help prevent death.
Each year, participating hospitals qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality stroke care. In addition to following clinical treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also provide education to help people manage their recovery and ongoing health at home.
Saint Francis also 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 stroke.
“We are proud to recognize Saint Francis Hospital for their commitment to caring for people experiencing stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities.”
About Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital has been an anchor institution in Connecticut since 1897. Saint Francis is a member of Trinity Health Of New England and Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is a 617-bed hospital, a major teaching hospital, and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, and Community Health and Well Being, which includes the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, and the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X @SaintFrancisCT
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.