SMH recognized with top AHA awards

The American Heart Association recognized both the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Sarasota and Venice campuses as role models for delivering lifesaving stroke and heart care.

As part of AHA’s 2025 quality review, both received multiple “Get with the Guidelines” awards recognizing the hospital teams for advanced treatments, safety protocols and evidence-based practices that promote the best outcomes for stroke patients and those suffering cardiac arrest in the hospital.

In this year’s study, SMH’s Sarasota and Venice campuses received AHA’s highest honor for stroke care and multiple awards for emergency heart care.

“Clinical expertise, best practices and patient preference are at the heart of every decision we make,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Fiorica in a news release. “Asking critical questions and applying the latest advances in medical science ensures our patients receive the best possible care.”

The Stroke Gold Plus-Honor Roll Elite Plus designation recognizes SMH for demonstrating superior performance over multiple years, often exceeding AHA standards for accurate diagnosis, rapid response, evidence-based treatment and responsible follow-up care, education and rehabilitation for stroke patients.

In addition, AHA honored SMH-Sarasota with two supplemental Stroke Gold Plus awards for providing additional layers of specialized care for stroke patients. The Advanced Therapy Award recognizes the team’s ability to deliver advanced interventions for applicable stroke patients, and the Diabetes Honor Roll reflects additional safety measures the hospital takes to identify and manage potential complications of stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The awards will be published on July 29 in U.S. News and World Report “Best Hospitals” edition.