Stephens County Hospital Receives Bronze Recognition for Excellence in Heart Attack Care
Stephens County Hospital has received the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines® Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Center Bronze Plus Recognition. This award recognizes the hospital's commitment to rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), considered more severe and life-threatening than other types of heart attacks.
Each year, more than 1.2 million in the U.S. are hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. About 30% of ACS cases are classified as STEMI, caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery.
Recognition as a STEMI Referring Center highlights hospitals of every size on the front lines of care that do not have an around-the-clock cardiac catherization lab available but coordinate closely with emergency medical services to ensure patients receive guideline-directed STEMI and NSTEMI care.
"Effective and timely care is critical for patients experiencing a STEMI heart attack. The American Heart Association's guidelines outline specific interventions for these patients both during hospitalization and after discharge," said Abhinav Goyal, M.D., MHS, FACC, FAHA, volunteer chair of the American Heart Assocation Coronary Artery Disease System of Care Advisory Group.
Each year, hospitals earn STEMI Referring Center recognition by demonstrating a sustained commitment to getting patients the most current, science-backed care for STEMI, as outlined by the American Heart Association.
"Stephens County Hospital is dedicated to improving the quality of heart care, and the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines program helps us achieve that goal," said Kortney Pearce, Clinical Programs Director at Stephens County Hospital. "The program puts proven science into practice every day, giving people experiencing a heart attack the best possible chance of survival."
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.