Four UCI Health hospitals receive American Heart Association Gold Plus Achievement Awards

Achievements highlight commitment to research-based, high-quality cardiac and stroke care

• For the second consecutive year, UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Fountain Valley, UCI Health — Lakewood and UCI Health — Los Alamitos received the 2026 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Association’s Stroke and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Awards
• UCI Health — Orange also received Heart Failure Gold Plus and Target Heart Failure Optimal, along with Resuscitation Target Survival Adult awards
• Recognitions highlight the health system’s 50-year legacy of providing patients with access to the latest research-based care that saves lives and supports recovery

Orange, Calif – Four UCI Health hospitals were recognized with the 2026 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Association’s Stroke and Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Awards.

UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Fountain Valley, UCI Health — Lakewood and UCI Health — Los Alamitos received the same designations in 2025, which recognize hospitals that demonstrate specific capabilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases.

UCI Health — Orange also received the Heart Failure Gold Plus and Target Heart Failure Optimal award, which recognize the hospital’s commitment to improving heart failure outcomes through the latest evidence-based guidelines, resulting in reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.

For the first time, UCI Health — Orange received the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Target Survival Adult award, which highlights improved survival of in-hospital cardiac arrest by aligning care with evidence-based guidelines. This recognition places UCI Health — Orange in the top 40% of all U.S. hospitals that participate in the Get with the Guidelines program.

"Delivering exceptional care requires a team committed to continuously improving how we care for patients,” said Dr. Joseph C. Carmichael, chief medical officer, senior vice president and a practicing colorectal surgeon at UCI Health. “These recognitions reflect the dedication of our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, technicians and quality improvement teams, who work together every day to provide evidence-based heart, stroke and diabetes care that improves outcomes and saves lives.”

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.

In-hospital cardiac arrest remains a major clinical and quality of care challenge in U.S. hospitals. About one in four adults who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest survive to hospital discharge. Though the rate has improved over time and is substantially higher than survival of cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, opportunities remain to strengthen in-hospital resuscitation systems and improve outcomes for more patients.

In 2024, The Joint Commission recognized UCI Health — Orange with a Gold Seal of Approval® for its Advanced Heart Failure Program Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects the academic health system’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

UCI Health ― Los Alamitos has also met the stringent requirements of the Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification Program. This program, administered by DNV GL Healthcare USA Inc., integrates specific requirements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Conditions of Participation for Hospitals, as well as guidelines from the Brain Attack Coalition and recommendations of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association®.

UCI Health — Orange is home to Orange County’s first Joint Commission-certified comprehensive stroke center, equipped to provide rapid treatment for patients with acute stroke and complex cerebrovascular diseases — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.