Get With The Guidelines® Media Kit

Publicizing Your Hospital's International Quality Commitment

Your hospital’s Get With The Guidelines® recognition is tangible evidence of the care team’s hard work and commitment to saving lives. It’s an accomplishment worth sharing with the community and hospital stakeholders. It's also an important differentiator and a competitive edge for your hospital.

Ideas for publicizing Get With The Guidelines accomplishments within the hospital:

  • Place table tent ads on surfaces in patient waiting rooms, cafeterias, etc.
  • Mount signage on restroom walls framed or post promo ads on the individual stall walls.
  • Hang a banner in your main entrance.
  • Place a small ad or sticker on the daily patient menu.
  • Use a slide to announce your award on the internal closed-circuit TV.
  • Place an article in your hospital’s internal newsletter.
  • Send a memo to the hospital board of directors, leadership and other hospital stakeholders.

Ideas for holding a recognition celebration:

  • Schedule a ceremony at your hospital, inviting key team members, local dignitaries, board members and the media. (Please check with your local Get With The Guidelines representative for publicity guidelines.)
  • Add recognition ceremonies to scheduled staff gatherings, such as department meetings, or plan a dedicated Get With The Guidelines recognition event for the care team.
  • Ask your hospital’s Get With The Guidelines champion to provide a recap of the program, its goals and the hospital’s experience with the program.
  • Have a photographer document the certificate or award presentation.
  • Create a celebratory atmosphere by distributing Get With The Guidelines give-away items and heart-healthy refreshments.
  • Prominently display Get With The Guidelines posters, banners and table tents.

Ideas for publicizing Get With The Guidelines accomplishments within the community:

  • Place a radio spot on local stations.
  • Place an ad or banner on the home page of your hospital's website.
  • Use a billboard near your site.
  • Run an ad in your local newspaper, a newspaper wrapper or a front-page sticker.
  • Add an announcement of the award to your on-hold message recording.
  • Place an ad or article in your external newsletter.

Need help saying it? Try these key messages:

  • What really gets us excited is seeing how we're affecting lives.
  • Our greatest reward is serving our patients. That’s why we’re committed to providing heart and stroke care that aligns with the latest research-based treatment guidelines.
  • Being honored for giving excellent patient care is the best recognition a hospital can get.
  • At <hospital name>, we care about our patients. That’s why we’ve made a commitment to providing heart and stroke care that aligns with the latest research-based treatment guidelines.
  • Sample verbiage you might put on a banner: As seen recently in <journal where ad appeared>, <hospital name> has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for our achievement in the (NAME OF PROGRAM/AWARD) quality program. It’s just another way (NAME OF HOSPITAL/AGENCY) is working to improve health care for you and your family.”
  • Sample radio ad script: “At (NAME OF HOSPITAL/AGENCY), we’re committed to providing heart and stroke care that aligns with the latest research-based treatment guidelines. Studies show patients can recover better when clinicians consistently follow these guidelines. We’re proud to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our achievement in the (NAME OF PROGRAM/AWARD) quality program. It’s just another way (NAME OF HOSPITAL/AGENCY) is working to improve health care for you and your family.”
  • Sample telephone on-hold script: “We’ve recently been recognized by the American Heart Association for our commitment to quality patient care. Join us in congratulating our physicians and nurses (or emergency medical providers) for working to close the gaps that separate patients from timely access to appropriate treatments”

“The care our patients receive is our number one priority. That’s why we’re proud to be among the hospitals and agencies recognized by the American Heart Association for our commitment to quality care.”

Note: Hospitals should work closely with their local international quality improvement representative to ensure promotional items comply with the Get With The Guidelines branding guidelines as well as to ensure the content of all statements is correct. Hospitals are not granted the use of the AHA, ASA or AHA/ASA logos for becoming a Get With The Guidelines Performance Achievement Award recipient.