Both St. Joseph's Hospital and Candler Hospital received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plusquality achievement award. The hospitals qualified for their awards due to sustained commitment to ensuring people experiencing stroke receive timely, appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately helping to save lives and reduce disability.

“It’s nice to be recognized for the investments we’ve made in patient care”, says Dr. Brian Raj, Neurologist and Medical Director of the Stroke Program. “Our physicians and co-workers have stepped up to ensure that when you’re treated here, you’ll be taken good care of, and I think this most recent award really affirms that to our community.”

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death in the United States, according to the AHA’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. Studies show patients can experience better outcomes when care teams consistently follow evidence-based treatment principles. St. Joseph's/Candler has long been the region's leader in stroke treatment and in 2010 St. Joseph's Hospital was the first in the region to earn the Gold Plus designation.

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the AHA and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping to align patient care with the latest science-backed guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines programs, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Candler Hospital have exhibited proven dedication to best practices and life-saving stroke care.

St. Joseph's Hospital also received the AHA’s additional Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite^SM Award recognition. To qualify for this, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy. 

“These awards reflect St. Joseph's/Candler's commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the AHA Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, St. Joseph's/Candler 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.”