Mayo and 569 other hospitals are featured in a July 28 advertisement in the "America's Best Hospitals" issue of US News & World Report to commemorate their receipt of Get With The Guidelines Gold or Silver Performance Achievement Award. The awards are given for achievement in coronary artery disease, stroke and/or heart failure treatment. Hospitals are recognized in each category in which they achieve at least 85 percent compliance to Get With The Guidelines measures. Those hospitals marking 85 percent compliance for 24 consecutive months are given the Gold Performance Achievement Award, with the Silver Performance Achievement award going to those with 85 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months.

Get With The Guidelines is a hospital-based quality-improvement program designed to ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. The program addresses coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Currently more than 1,450 hospitals participate in the program.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's advertisement recognizes Mayo Clinic's commitment and success in performance achievement.

"The American Heart Association is pleased to recognize its top Get With The Guidelines participants," said Lee Schwamm, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines steering committee, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and vice chairman of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Healthcare providers who use Get With The Guidelines are armed with the latest evidence-based guidelines and immediate access to clinical decision support, using a set of tools that have been shown to improve delivery of evidence-based care. The goal of this initiative is to improve the quality of life and help reduce deaths and disability among patients with heart disease and stroke."

"We are proud that the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have chosen the 'America's Best Hospitals' issue of US News & World Report to recognize Mayo Clinic for our achievements in their Get With The Guidelines program," said Bart Demaerschalk, M.D., Neurology, at Mayo Clinic. "Get With The Guidelines gives our professionals the tools and reports they need to effectively treat our coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke patients."