St. David’s HealthCare facilities receive national recognition for cardiovascular and stroke care
AUSTIN, Texas—St. David’s HealthCare facilities recently earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 2025 Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved and fewer readmissions to the hospital. St. David's Medical Center was one of numerous St. David's HealthCare facilities recognized.
“We are proud to be recognized once again by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for our ongoing commitment to helping patients recover and thrive after a heart attack or stroke,” Ken Mitchell, M.D., chief medical officer of St. David’s HealthCare, said. “Our dedicated physicians, nurses and staff work tirelessly to deliver exceptional care to the Austin community, and we are extremely grateful for their continued efforts.”
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Each year, they claim more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease
St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center received the Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus award for the treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attack patients, while St. David’s Medical Center received Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Silver Plus award. St. David’s Georgetown Hospital received the Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Gold Plus award.
A STEMI heart attack is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart, and it requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
St. David’s Medical Center also received the Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold award for the treatment of non-STEMI heart attack patients.
Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke
St. David’s Medical Center, St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital received the Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. These facilities also received the Target: Type 2 DiabetesTM Honor Roll award by ensuring 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.
Additionally, St. David’s Medical Center and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center received the Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll-Elite Plus award, while St. David’s North Austin Medical Center and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital received the Target: StrokeSMHonor Roll-Elite award. To qualify, hospitals must meet specific criteria to reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.
Mission: Lifeline®
St. David’s Medical Center, St. David's North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center and St. David's Georgetown Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Greater Austin Mission: Lifeline® Regional Award for its regional collaboration regarding the care for those experiencing the most severe heart attacks.
The Mission: Lifeline Regional Award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to work with their referring and receiving hospital partners, as well as EMS, to establish a system of care based on the most up-to-date research-based guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association.
St. David’s HealthCare
St. David’s HealthCare includes nine of the area’s leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. As the fourth-largest private employer in the Austin area, St. David’s HealthCare has more than 12,600 colleagues across 190 sites of care.
St. David’s HealthCare is a unique partnership between hospital management company HCA Healthcare and two local nonprofits—St. David’s Foundation and Georgetown Health Foundation. The proceeds from the operations of the hospitals fund the foundations, which, in turn, invest those dollars back into the community. Since the inception of St. David’s HealthCare in 1996, more than $1 billion has been given back to the community to improve the health and healthcare of Central Texans.
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. For more information, visit heart.org.
Details
September 15, 2025
St. David's HealthCare
Name: Blake Pousson
Phone: (512) 944-2081
Email: BPousson@ECPRTexas.com