WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The American Heart Association has recognized several Novant Health Hospitals across the Carolinas through its Get With The Guidelines program for delivering high-quality stroke and heart failure care.
"Providing remarkable heart failure care requires more than treating a condition. It requires a deeply connected team, access to advanced therapies and a commitment to continually improving outcomes," said Howard L. Haronian, MD, FACC, physician in chief of the Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute. "This recognition reflects exceptional work happening in our hospitals and the strength of the cardiovascular programs our teams have built across the Carolinas.”
The annual awards honor hospitals that consistently implement evidence-based practices proven to improve outcomes, reduce complications and ensure patients receive coordinated, timely treatment throughout their care journey.
"When a stroke occurs, every minute can affect a person's recovery and future quality of life," said Mark Murray, MD, PhD, physician in chief of the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute. "From emergency evaluation through treatment, stroke care depends on making the right decisions quickly. Seeing so many Novant Health hospitals recognized demonstrates a sustained focus on delivering evidence-based care when patients need it most."
The 2026 honorees for the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines program are:
Gold Plus – Heart Failure
- Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center
- Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
- Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
- Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center
- Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center
- Novant Health Matthews Medical Center
- Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center
- Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
- Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
- Novant Health Rowan Medical Center
- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center
Rural Gold – Heart Failure
- Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
Gold Plus – Stroke
- Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center
- Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
- Novant Health Coastal Carolina Hospital
- Novant Health East Cooper Medical Center
- Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
- Novant Health Hilton Head Hospital
- Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center
- Novant Health Matthews Medical Center
- Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center
- Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
- Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
- Novant Health Rowan Medical Center
- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center
Rural Silver – Stroke
- Novant Health Pender Medical Center
Many of the hospitals recognized this year have earned Get With The Guidelines distinctions for consecutive years, reflecting Novant Health’s ongoing commitment to advancing heart and stroke care.
The Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute provides cardiovascular care through 21 medical centers and 54 clinics across the Carolinas. Its team includes more than 325 physicians and advanced practice providers, with expertise spanning advanced heart failure, structural heart disease, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and cardiac and vascular surgery.
Novant Health continues to expand access to advanced cardiovascular care through innovations such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, robotic mitral valve repair, and the Barostim implant for heart failure. The health system has also advanced stroke care, with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center becoming the first hospital in North Carolina to use the newly approved THUNDERBOLT technology to remove blood clots and restore blood flow to the brain.
These efforts build on Novant Health’s network of 11 certified stroke centers and advanced AI-powered technology that helps care teams quickly identify and treat patients when every minute matters.
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