Heart association awards Beebe for commitment to quality care

In July, Beebe announced the launch of its Cardiovascular Institute, offering comprehensive, state-of-the-art, evidence-based heart, lung and vein care for the people of Sussex County. While encompassing the full continuum of cardiac care services, the institute and the clinicians who lead it have also emphasized quality, safety, process improvement, patient outcomes and patient experience as key areas of focus.

In line with these priorities, Beebe recently earned a record number of Get With The Guidelines awards from the American Heart Association, more than any previous year for the organization.

Highlighting the achievement is the American Heart Association Commitment to Quality Award, which was presented to an elite group of hospitals that achieved the requirements of three or more Get With The Guidelines modules. Beebe was one of 158 hospitals across the U.S. to receive this special award in its inaugural year.

The eight additional Get With The Guidelines awards Beebe received recognize clinical excellence and optimized patient care outcomes in 2025.

The Heart Failure Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll affirms Beebe has achieved criteria outlined by the heart association for improved medication adherence, early follow-up care and coordination, and enhanced patient education. It confirms that the hospital is taking appropriate steps to reduce hospital readmissions while helping heart failure and type 2 diabetes patients improve quality of life through chronic condition management after hospitalization.

Beebe earned the Rural Heart Failure Silver Award, based on its proven dedication to ensuring heart failure patients have access to industry best practices and lifesaving care, resulting in reduced hospital readmissions and increased healthy days at home. These results are achieved through application of the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for heart failure care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

The Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes award recognizes Beebe for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing ST elevation myocardial infarction, aka STEMI, a specific type of heart attack that is more severe and dangerous than others.

The Rural Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Bronze award commends Beebe’s efforts to optimize acute cardiac care and address healthcare disparities in rural communities where STEMI prevalence is greater. Implementation of quality treatment and coordinated care for patients is evident, and leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

The Rural Stroke Bronze award recognizes Beebe’s efforts to improve stroke care in rural communities, where there is a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality.

The Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award recognizes that Beebe ensures 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.

The Resuscitation Bronze - Adult award demonstrates that Beebe ensures in-hospital cardiac arrest patients are treated with use of industry best practices and lifesaving care. It recognizes the hospital’s commitment to treating cardiac arrest patients in ways that ultimately improve survival rates.

The Resuscitation Target CPR award recognizes Beebe for the protocols it has in place to monitor CPR quality during in-house cardiac arrest events, while ensuring consistency with the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines from the American Heart Association.

“At Beebe, evidence-based practice is not just a philosophy; it’s a quality-of-care framework and a standard we uphold across every aspect of care delivery,” said Paul Sierzenski, MD, MSHQS, CPE, FACEP, senior vice president and chief physician executive at Beebe Healthcare. “Our clinical teams are deeply committed to following nationally recognized guidelines and best practices to ensure patients receive the safest, most effective care possible. The launch of our Cardiovascular Institute and the record number of Get With The Guidelines awards from the American Heart Association are direct reflections of that commitment. These recognitions validate the work we’re doing to improve outcomes, reduce risk and elevate the patient experience through consistent application of high-quality, research-based standards.”