American Heart Association and American Stroke Association Recognize Nine AHN Hospitals for Excellence in Heart and Stroke Care

PITTSBURGH - The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) has recognized nine Allegheny Health Network (AHN) hospitals for the high quality of their heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and stroke care programs.

AHN Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), AHN Allegheny Valley (AVH), AHN Canonsburg, AHN Forbes, AHN Grove City, AHN West Penn, AHN Wexford and AHN Saint Vincent in Erie have each earned the annual American Heart Association's (AHA) Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure Achievement Award, Gold Plus designation, the highest level of achievement.

"These awards reflect the dedication of our entire cardiovascular team to ensuring every patient receives care rooted in the latest science and delivered with compassion," said Akshay Khandelwal, MD, Chair of Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at AHN. "Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., but by relentlessly pursuing excellence and embracing innovation, we are making real strides in saving lives and improving long-term outcomes for our patients."

For outcomes in coronary artery disease (with varying levels of severity), AGH and West Penn earned Gold designations while Forbes Hospital earned a Silver designation and Jefferson Hospital earned Bronze.

Additionally, the AHA/ASA recognized seven AHN hospitals for the high quality of their stroke programs. AGH, Canonsburg, Jefferson and AHN Saint Vincent in Erie were awarded the Gold Plus designation, the highest level of achievement, while Allegheny Valley, AHN Grove City and AHN Wexford were awarded the Bronze Achievement designations.

"Our stroke teams work tirelessly to ensure that when seconds matter most, patients get the fastest, safest, and most effective care possible," said Russell Cerejo, MD, vascular neurologist at AHN. "From emergency response to advanced treatment options like thrombectomy, our commitment is to give every stroke patient the best chance for recovery and quality of life."

The AHA/ASA Gold Plus Achievement Awards are given to hospitals that have an 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care as outlined by the AHA for a period of 24 consecutive months and have demonstrated 75 percent or higher compliance to a self-selected group of quality measures.

"Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke or heart attack," said Vanessa Houser, Development Director, American Heart Association. "High-quality care should be accessible to all, and sites awarded through the Get With The Guidelines program help work toward our shared vision of health and hope for everyone, everywhere."

Allegheny General Hospital also received the Commitment to Quality Award, in the first year for this elite recognition. Awarded to only 158 hospitals nationwide in 2025, this recognition goes to hospitals achieving excellence in three or more Get With The Guidelines modules.

"This award celebrates the incredible collaboration and skill of our physicians, nurses, and support teams," said Imran Qadeer, MD, President of AGH. "It also affirms to our patients and community that when they come to AHN for heart or stroke care, they are getting some of the very best treatment available anywhere in the country."

For more information on the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, visit https://www.ahn.org/services/cardiovascular. For more information on AHN's stroke program, visit https://www.ahn.org/services/stroke.