For the twelfth consecutive year, SGMC Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Resuscitation Gold quality achievement award. The recognition honors hospitals that consistently follow evidence-based guidelines to improve outcomes for patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest.

According to the AHA, each year, more than 300,000 adults and children in the United States experience cardiac arrest while hospitalized. Survival depends on timely intervention, effective CPR, and coordinated care from highly trained clinical teams. The Get With The Guidelines® Resuscitation program helps hospitals implement the latest research-based protocols related to patient safety, rapid medical emergency team response, high-quality resuscitation, and post-resuscitation care.

“Consistently achieving this level of recognition demonstrates the commitment our clinical teams have to providing outstanding care,” said Pankaj Agrawal, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at SGMC Health. “Their dedication to following best practices helps ensure patients receive the right care at the right time during some of the most critical moments of their lives.”

As the region’s most comprehensive health system, SGMC Health continually invests in advanced technology, clinical education, and quality improvement initiatives that strengthen patient outcomes. Participation in the Get With The Guidelines® Resuscitation program helps ensure care teams are equipped with the latest tools and evidence-based practices to deliver timely, life-saving treatment when every second counts.

That commitment extends beyond the hospital through HeartReady Communities, an initiative designed to improve preparedness and response to cardiac emergencies across South Georgia and North Florida. Through partnerships with schools, businesses, first responders, and community organizations, SGMC Health is helping educate and empower community members to recognize cardiac emergencies, respond quickly, and access lifesaving resources. The program builds on the health system’s ongoing outreach efforts, including CPR and emergency response education, while supporting access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the region.

SGMC Health serves as a Level I Emergency Cardiac Care Center and is home to South Georgia’s only open-heart surgery program, as well as a structural heart and valve center and a comprehensive cardiac electrophysiology program. These services, combined with nationally recognized quality initiatives and community-focused programs like HeartReady Communities, help strengthen the chain of survival and provide patients across South Georgia and North Florida access to advanced cardiovascular care close to home.

For more information about SGMC Health’s award-winning heart and vascular programs, visit sgmc.org.