John Muir Health Nationally Recognized for Providing High-Quality Cardiovascular and Stroke Care

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September 28, 2026

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association honor hospitals with proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care with their Get With The Guidelines^® awards.

(Concord and Walnut Creek, CA) – John Muir Health’s Concord and Walnut Creek Medical Centers are once again being recognized nationally for delivering high-quality heart disease and stroke care. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® awards are given to hospitals 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, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

2026 recognitions for John Muir Health include:

• Heart Failure Gold Plus (Concord and Walnut Creek)
  • Commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure, meaning reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.
     
• Get With The Guidelines^® - Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold Plus (Concord) and Gold (Walnut Creek)
  • Commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks. John Muir Health’s Concord and Walnut Creek Medical Centers are both designated as Contra Costa County STEMI Receiving Centers for severe heart attack patients.
     
• Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke Gold Plus (Concord and Walnut Creek)
  • Commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
     
• Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll (Concord and Walnut Creek)
  • To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-busting drug, Alteplas.
     
• Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll (Concord and Walnut Creek)
  • 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.
     
• Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll (Walnut Creek)
  • Meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.
     
• Commitment to Quality Award (Concord and Walnut Creek)
  • Commitment to quality improvement through use of Get With The Guidelines program across John Muir Health’s cardiovascular and stroke service lines.

“Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death in the U.S., respectively,” said Dr. Faizul Haque, medical director, John Muir Health Cardiovascular Catheterization Lab. “John Muir Health follows the scientifically proven American Heart Association and American Stroke Association guidelines to ensure more people in our community can live longer, healthier lives.”

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest science-backed guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, John Muir Health was recognized with these awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular and stroke care. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.

“These awards reflect John Muir Health's commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, John Muir Health can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for patients, families and health care systems.”