UF Health hospitals in Northeast Florida earn consecutive national stroke care recognition
UF Health Flagler Hospital.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the second straight year, UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health St. Johns have earned American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® awards, recognizing their commitment to high-quality stroke care.
UF Health St. Johns received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, a distinction that reflects the hospital’s commitment to providing the highest standard of care for stroke patients.
UF Health Jacksonville received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award for 2026, recognizing excellence in stroke care and the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes who experience stroke.
These recognitions underscore both hospitals’ commitment to delivering timely, evidence-based stroke care and continually advancing treatment options for patients across Northeast Florida.
At UF Health Jacksonville, that commitment includes the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, launched in partnership with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. As Northeast Florida’s first specialized stroke ambulance, the unit brings advanced imaging, telemedicine and stroke treatment directly to patients, extending hospital-level care into the field and saving critical time when every minute counts. In its first year, the team responded to more than 1,200 dispatches, admitted more than 300 patients, performed more than 170 lifesaving acute interventions and participated in more than 50 community outreach events.
Stroke is the nation’s fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are critical to saving lives and improving recovery.
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® program helps hospitals align care with the latest research and clinical guidelines. Hospitals receiving these awards have demonstrated a commitment to delivering timely, quality care for stroke patients.
“These recognitions reflect our commitment to providing the highest level of stroke care close to home,” said Patrick L. Green, FACHE, senior vice president and Northeast Florida regional president of UF Health. “From advanced therapies in our hospitals to innovative programs like the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, our goal is simple: give patients the best possible chance for recovery by delivering expert care as quickly as possible.”
According to the American Heart Association, hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines® achieve improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.
“These accomplishments reflect the dedication and collaboration of our teams,” said Wayne Marshall, MBA, FACHE, president of UF Health St. Johns. “Their commitment to excellence helps ensure patients receive high-quality stroke care when every minute counts.”
About UF Health
UF Health is a world-class academic health center that combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with outstanding clinical care at a network of hospitals throughout the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital, part of Florida’s preeminent health system.
With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville, as well as satellite sites in Central Florida, St. Johns County and several other locations, UF Health provides quality healthcare to patients across the nation’s third-most populous state. UF Health consists of six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, 12 hospitals — including two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals — and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services.
About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart 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. Visit heart.org for more information.