Both of St. Jooseph’s/Candler’s flagship Savannah hospitals recently received a top honor from the American Heart Association.
The St. Joseph’s and Candler hospitals received AHA’s Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus award. The hospitals qualified for the award for their “sustained commitment” to timely and appropriate treatment for those experiencing strokes, according to a SJ/C press release.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the investments we’ve made in patient care,” said Dr. Brian Raj, neurologist and medical director of SJ/C’s Stroke Program. “Our physicians and co-workers have stepped up to ensure that when you’re treated here, you’ll be taken good care of, and I think this most recent award really affirms that to our community.”
AHA’s Get With the Guidelines program helps hospitals match their patient care with recent science-based treatment principles. Both hospitals are participants in the program.
Stroke is the fourth-highest cause of death in the U.S., according to the AHA’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. Scientific studies show that patients experience better care when health providers consistently utilize the evidence-based guidelines prompted by the program, the press release said.
St. Joseph’s was the first SJ/C hospital to win the Stroke Gold Plus designation in 2010. This year it also received an additional AHA target, the Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award. The recognition means the hospital met specific criteria that reduce the time between patient arrival and treatment.
“These awards reflect St. Joseph's/Candler's commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, and chair of the AHA Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, St. Joseph's/Candler can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for patients, families and health care systems.
Evan Lasseter is the City of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah hospitals earn top American Heart Association honors
