Stony Brook Medicine Receives AHA Gold Plus Awards for Stroke, Heart Failure

Stony Brook University Hospital earned national recognition from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines programs for excellence in stroke and heart-failure care during American Heart Month, a distinction that highlights local access to evidence-based cardiac and stroke treatment.

Stony Brook Medicine materials say the hospital received the Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Plus quality achievement award for the seventh consecutive year. Stony Brook University Hospital messaging also reports the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus achievement award for the 15th consecutive year, citing the span 2010–2025. A separate local report lists a 14th consecutive year for stroke and a sixth consecutive year for the heart-failure award. AHA representatives were reported to have presented the Heart Failure Gold Plus award during early-February Wear Red Day observances.

William Wertheim, MD, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine, framed the awards as an institutional commitment to patient care: “This acknowledgment from the American Heart Association reflects the steadfast commitment of our medical teams to deliver outstanding care to our patients,” and “Being recognized consistently over the years reinforces our ongoing pursuit of excellence in cardiovascular and stroke treatment, and we take pride in the meaningful difference our work makes in our patients’ health and recovery.”

The recognition joins other program credentials at Stony Brook. Stony Brook Medicine’s website and local coverage differ on certification timelines: the hospital site says Advanced Certification in Heart Failure from The Joint Commission has been continuous since 2011, while local reporting states Stony Brook University Hospital has been Joint Commission and AHA certified in Advanced Heart Failure since 2013 and in Ventricular Assist Device care since 2011. Healthgrades distinctions for heart-failure treatment are also reported differently: one local account cites 12 years, while Stony Brook Medicine cites 13 consecutive years.

Program leaders emphasize process and outcomes. A local piece described an immediate-feedback tool for providers that helps catch and correct potential performance issues. “Whenever possible, we correct the issue before it becomes a violation,” and “At the very least, we provide immediate feedback and on‑the‑spot education so things don’t happen twice,” said Guido in that coverage.

The awards were presented amid Wear Red Day activities intended to raise cardiovascular awareness. Coverage highlighted the continuing risk to women: “Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women, responsible for 1 in 3 deaths each year. Heart disease and stroke can affect women at any age, making it essential for women to understand their own risk factors and take the necessary steps to protect their heart health. Investing in heart health is important at every stage of life, and it is never too early or too late to start.”

Local program history reinforces the regional impact. Dr. Hal Skopicki, MD, chief of cardiology and co-director of the Stony Brook Heart Institute, said, “We brought the first heart failure and cardiomyopathy center to Long Island,” and “The vision for it really being able to go ahead and not have people traveling to the city for that second opinion.”

For Suffolk County patients, the awards signal sustained, outcomes-driven care closer to home and ongoing quality oversight in heart and stroke services. Stony Brook Medicine’s recognitions reinforce a local pathway for advanced treatment, follow-up and specialty opinions that can save travel time and support faster recovery and healthier days at home.