Keck Hospital of USC, USC Arcadia Hospital (USC-AH) and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC-VHH) received three 2025 American Heart Association (AHA) Get With The Guidelines^® awards for high-quality cardiovascular care in the categories of heart failure and stroke.

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. The program includes five specialized areas of focus: Stroke, Heart Failure, Resuscitation, Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Artery Disease.

The 2025 awards bestowed to Keck Hospital, USC AH and USC-VHH are:

Keck Hospital of USC
Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold Plus
Target: Heart Failure Optimal
Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

USC Arcadia Hospital
Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus
Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus
Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy
Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Bronze

The Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure quality achievement award, bestowed to Keck Hospital, demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association. It recognizes hospitals committed to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure, meaning reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.

Keck Hospital was also recognized in the Target: Heart Failure^SM Optimal category. Hospitals receiving this award meet specific criteria that improve medication adherence, provide early follow-up care and coordination and enhance patient education. Receiving the Optimal designation means a hospital has performed 50% or better for defect-free care. The goal is to further reduce hospital readmissions and help patients improve their quality of life in managing this chronic condition.

Meanwhile, the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke award, earned by USC-AH and USC-VHH, recognizes entities committed 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.

In addition to receiving the Stroke Gold Plus award, USC-AH received the Target: Stroke^SM Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria for reducing the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy. USC-AH also received the Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award by meeting specific criteria for reducing the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment to remove the clot causing the stroke.

Finally, Keck Hospital and USC-AH both also received the 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 heart disease or stroke.

— Jennifer Grebow