Key Takeaways
- Twelve Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers earned 2026 American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines–Stroke awards.
- The awards recognize hospitals that follow current, research-based guidelines for stroke care.
- Hackensack Meridian Health has three Comprehensive Stroke Centers and nine Primary Stroke Centers certified by The Joint Commission.
- Hackensack University Medical Center, JFK University Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center are designated Comprehensive Stroke Centers for complex stroke cases.
- Several HMH hospitals also earned recognition for meeting stroke treatment goals and caring for hospitalized stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes.
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Hackensack Meridian Health has received twelve American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke achievement awards for its proven commitment to following up-to-date, research-based stroke care guidelines that help improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and shorten recovery times.
Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. Studies show patients can experience better outcomes when care teams consistently follow evidence-based treatment guidelines.
“We are incredibly proud to see so many of our hospitals recognized for excellence in stroke care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “These honors reflect the skill, teamwork and dedication of our physicians, nurses and team members who act quickly and decisively when every second matters. Across our network, we are committed to providing patients with seamless access to the full continuum of stroke care, from rapid diagnosis and emergency treatment to advanced interventions, recovery and rehabilitation. Most importantly, these recognitions demonstrate the impact of that commitment on the patients and communities we are privileged to serve.”
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest science-backed guidelines. As a participant in the Get With The Guidelines programs, Hackensack Meridian Health qualified for the awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular care.
The following Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers received 2026 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke awards:
- Bayshore Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Hackensack University Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- JFK University Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, Advanced Therapy, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Ocean University Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Palisades Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Raritan Bay Medical Center – Old Bridge – Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Raritan Bay Medical Center – Perth Amboy – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Riverview Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Southern Ocean Medical Center – Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Mountainside Medical Center: Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Pascack Valley Medical Center: Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
To receive the Gold Plus designation, hospitals must achieve at least 85% adherence to key stroke performance indicators for two consecutive years and demonstrate 75% or higher compliance with additional quality measures. Honor Roll Elite status is awarded to hospitals that meet time-to-treatment goals, including rapid administration of clot-busting medications.
American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
“These awards reflect Hackensack Meridian Health's commitment to caring for people in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, HMH 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.”
Hackensack Meridian Health has three Comprehensive Stroke Centers and nine Primary Stroke Centers certified by the Joint Commission and licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. The three comprehensive stroke centers—Hackensack University Medical Center, JFK University Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center — hold the most advanced stroke care designations and are equipped to treat the most complex cases. Hackensack University Medical Center is also home to the best and only nationally ranked Neurology & Neurosurgery program in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report 2026-2027.