Hendrick Health nationally recognized for commitment to providing high-quality cardiac care

American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines® and Mission Lifeline® awards for proven dedication to best practices and life-saving care for heart attack patients

Hendrick Health has received multiple American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® and Mission Lifeline® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treatment of heart disease, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer hospital readmissions.

“These awards show Hendrick Health’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Hendrick Health can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for healthcare systems, families and communities.”

Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association’s “2025 Statistical Update.” And, more than one million cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), such as a heart attack and unstable angina, require hospitalization in the United States annually.

ACS cases generally fall into two categories:

• NSTEMI – Approximately 70% are classified as NSTEMI (Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction), which is caused by a partial blockage in a heart artery.
• STEMI – Remaining 30% are classified as STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction), which is a complete blockage of a heart artery.

Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

Get With The Guidelines and Mission Lifeline put the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines and Mission Lifeline programs, Hendrick Health qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.

This year, Hendrick Health received these achievement awards:

• Get With the Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center – Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Hendrick Medical Center
  • Hendrick Medical Center South
• Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
  • Hendrick Medical Center
• Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Bronze
  • Hendrick Medical Center South
• Get With The Guidelines – Rural Coronary Artery Disease STEMI – Bronze
  • Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
• Get With The Guidelines – Rural Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Bronze
  • Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
• Mission Lifeline – Regional Recognition Award
  • Hendrick Medical Center
  • Hendrick Medical Center South

The Mission Lifeline – Regional Recognition Award honors excellence in STEMI systems of care, from the initial 911 call and EMS transport through hospital treatment and discharge.

About Hendrick Health
Hendrick Health is a locally owned healthcare system in Abilene, Texas, directed by a local, volunteer board and affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Guided by a Christian mission to serve all, Hendrick Health operates three tertiary-care facilities – Hendrick Medical Center and Hendrick Medical Center South in Abilene and Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood in Brownwood – and Hendrick Clinic, a multi-specialty medical group of physicians and other advanced professional providers. The health system’s roots date to September 15, 1924, with the dedication of West Texas Baptist Sanitarium. Since then, the hospital has evolved and grown to transform the region’s healthcare. Hendrick Health today employs approximately 5,400 to serve 400,000 residents in 24 counties, a landmass representing 9% of the state. The health system provided $35.2 million in charity care in 2024.

About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.

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 with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.