The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines® awards for proven dedication to best practices, life-saving care
RAPID CITY, SD (Sept. 8, 2026) — Monument Health has received three American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, helping save lives, support recovery and reduce hospital readmissions.
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.
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, Monument Health qualified for the awards by demonstrating a sustained commitment to improving the quality of cardiovascular care.
“Monument Health is committed to delivering high-quality care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely, appropriate care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Brad Archer, M.D., Monument Health Chief Medical Officer. “Get With The Guidelines programs help our teams put proven science into practice every day, supporting better outcomes so more people in South Dakota, Eastern Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska and Montana can live longer, healthier lives.”
This year, Monument Health received these achievement awards:
- Get With The Guidelines®-AFib Gold with Target: Ablation
- Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
- Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure Silver Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
“These awards reflect Monument 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, Monument Health 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.”
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About Monument Health
Headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., Monument Health is a community-based health care system with a mission to make a difference, every day. The system offers care in 31 medical specialties and serves 14 communities across western South Dakota and in eastern Wyoming. With over 6,300 physicians and caregivers, Monument Health is composed of 5 hospitals and more than 40 medical clinics and specialty centers. Monument Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
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 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.