Eighteen hospital campuses across Sutter Health’s not-for-profit network were recognized this week with 27 awards from the American Heart Association as part of the 2025 Get With The Guidelines® program. This national initiative evaluates quality and consistency in care delivery, rewarding top-performing hospitals for outstanding clinical performance in stroke and cardiac care.
Sutter hospitals have consistently participated in the program, earning repeated recognition for their commitment to improving outcomes and standardizing care. This year’s awards are a testament to that dedication.
Stroke Care Awards
Sutter Health operates one of Northern California’s largest integrated stroke care networks, with 17 certified stroke centers. Many of these centers hold advanced designations and are staffed by specialized teams delivering expert care to stroke patients.
“Every minute matters in stroke care, and these awards reflect our relentless focus on delivering timely, high-quality treatment,” said Dr. Nobl Barazangi, a neurologist, stroke specialist and the chief of stroke care for Sutter Health. “From emergency response to advanced imaging and rehab, we’re aligning every part of our system to support the best possible outcomes.”
This year 16 Sutter hospital campuses earned the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award — the highest level of recognition possible:
- Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus
- Sutter Amador Hospital
- Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
- Sutter’s CPMC – Davies Campus
- Sutter’s CPMC – Van Ness Campus
- Sutter Davis Hospital
- Sutter’s Eden Medical Center
- Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
- Sutter Memorial Hospital Los Banos
- Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center
- Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
- Sutter’s Novato Community Hospital
- Sutter Roseville Medical Center
- Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
- Sutter Solano Medical Center
- Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
Additionally, Sutter Lakeside Hospital earned the Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Silver Plus quality achievement award.
Target: Stroke Honor Roll Recognition
The Target: Stroke Honor Roll recognizes hospitals for reducing the time between emergency department arrival and stroke treatment.
Sutter Health has one of the largest hospital networks with advanced stroke certification distinctions in Northern California. Our Stroke Centers are certified by The Joint Commission as being able to provide high standards of care to improve outcomes of people who’ve had a stroke. These centers have special experience in caring for people with stroke and can provide treatment quickly to reduce the chance of paralysis and impairments. Certified stroke centers partner closely with local Emergency Medical Response services to coordinate timely care.
Ten Sutter hospital campuses earned the highest level of recognition — Target: Stroke Elite Plus:
- Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus
- Sutter’s CPMC – Davies Campus
- Sutter’s CPMC – Van Ness Campus
- Sutter’s Eden Medical Center
- Sutter Lakeside Hospital
- Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
- Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center
- Sutter Roseville Medical Center
- Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
- Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
Additionally, five hospital campuses achieved Target: Stroke Elite, the second highest level of recognition:
- Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
- Sutter Davis Hospital
- Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
- Sutter’s Novato Community Hospital
- Sutter Solano Medical Center
Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Fifteen Sutter campuses received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award:
- Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus
- Sutter Amador Hospital
- Sutter’s CPMC – Davies Campus
- Sutter’s CPMC – Van Ness Campus
- Sutter Davis Hospital
- Sutter Delta Medical Center
- Sutter’s Eden Medical Center
- Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
- Sutter’s Memorial Hospital Los Banos
- Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center
- Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center
- Sutter Roseville Medical Center
- Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
- Sutter Solano Medical Center
- Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure 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.
Rural Stroke Recognition Awards
Four Sutter hospital campuses earned Get With The Guidelines® – Rural Stroke awards, a separate accolade that accounts for the unique challenges faced by rural hospitals:
- Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital (Gold award)
- Sutter’s Memorial Hospital Los Banos (Gold award)
- Sutter Amador Hospital (Silver award)
- Sutter Lakeside Hospital (Silver award)
Sutter Health recently broke ground on a second Rural Health Clinic in Los Banos, which aligns with its systemwide plan to expand access through new ambulatory care centers across Northern California, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
Advanced Therapy Honor Roll
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, Sutter Roseville Medical Center and Sutter’s Eden Medical Center each earned a place on the Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll. This accolade recognizes participating hospitals that met timeliness targets for the removal of blood clots from the brain under image guidance. The procedure, known as endovascular thrombectomy, is not performed at all hospitals.
Cardiac Care Excellence
Six Sutter hospital campuses earned awards for treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe form of heart attack, through the Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease program:
- Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus (Bronze Receiving Plus award)
- Sutter’s CPMC – Davies Campus (Gold Receiving Plus award)
- Sutter’s CPMC – Van Ness Campus (Gold Receiving Plus award)
- Sutter Delta Medical Center (Gold Receiving Plus award)
- Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento (Gold Receiving award)
- Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Bronze Receiving Plus award)
Additionally, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento earned a Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus award qualified for the Target: Heart Failure Honor Roll, and was recognized on the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. Sutter’s CPMC (Davies and Van Ness Campuses) earned Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Silver Plus award.
“Our teams are laser-focused on delivering the highest-quality cardiac care across urban and rural settings,” said Dr. Powell Jose, Sutter Medical Group cardiologist and section chief of general cardiology for Sutter’s heart and vascular service line. “These awards underscore the strength of our integrated care model, our commitment to rapid response, and our dedication to advancing treatment through innovation and compassion.”
Sutter’s cardiovascular teams use advanced procedures, seamless integration across clinical environments, and data-driven insights to deliver some of the nation’s best outcomes in heart and vascular care.
