St. Mary’s 3 hospitals nationally recognized for commitment to providing high-quality cardiovascular care
July 25, 2025ATHENS, GA – St. Mary’s Health Care System’s hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro have received five American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke and heart attack, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death, and stroke is the No. 1 cause of adult disability and the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association 2025 Statistical Update. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.
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 evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines programs, the hospitals of St. Mary’s Health Care System qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
“Our entire St. Mary’s ministry is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper stroke and heart attack care,” said Stonish Pierce, President and CEO of Trinity Health Georgia, which includes all three hospitals. “Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in the communities we serve experience longer, healthier lives.”
Get with the Guidelines stroke awards are based on how quickly patients with stroke symptoms receive care, especially time-sensitive treatment with clot-busting medications that can restore blood flow to affected areas of the brain. The cardiac resuscitation award is based on fast, effective treatment for patients experiencing a heart attack while in the hospital.
Here are the 2025 Get With the Guidelines awards and honor roll achievements for the hospitals in St. Mary’s regional ministry:
St. Mary’s Hospital, Athens
- 2025 Stroke Gold Plus (17th year in a row)
- Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
- Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- 2025 Gold Cardiac Resuscitation (3rd year in a row)
- Target: CPR Honor Roll
St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital, Lavonia
- 2025 Stroke Gold Plus (3rd year)
- Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- 2025 Rural Stroke Silver
St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, Greensboro
- 2025 Stroke Gold Plus (2nd year in a row)
- Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
“These awards show St. Mary’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, St. Mary’s can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
In addition, St. Mary’s Hospital meets specific scientific guidelines as a Joint Commission-certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. Thrombectomy-capable stroke centers are available to perform a cerebral thrombectomy 24/7/365, which is an endovascular procedure that removes large vessel blood clots that can cause some of the most severe ischemic strokes.
St. Mary’s is also accredited as a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention by the American College of Cardiology.
About St. Mary’s Health Care System
St. Mary’s Health Care System, a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in the U.S., is a faith-based health care ministry whose mission is to be a compassionate and transforming healing presence in the communities it serves. St. Mary’s puts special focus on neurosciences, cardiac care, robotic surgery, general medicine, general surgery, women’s and children’s health, and care for older adults. St. Mary's includes hospitals in Athens, Lavonia, and Greensboro, as well as a multi-practice medical group, a retirement community, outpatient care facilities, graduate medical education, a region-wide home health care/hospice service, and clinical affiliations with the University of Georgia/Augusta University. For more information, please visit our website.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, Trinity Health includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations, and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.
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 to save lives and hasten recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.