Vernon Health earns national gold awards for heart and stroke care

Aug, 13, 2026

VIROQUA, Wis. — Vernon Health has been recognized with three national achievement awards from the American Heart Association for its sustained commitment to high-quality, evidence-based stroke and cardiovascular care.

The national awards, presented through the association’s Get With The Guidelines program, recognize Vernon Health’s success in applying up-to-date, research-backed treatment protocols to improve patient outcomes, shorten recovery times, and reduce readmissions.

This year, the Viroqua-based healthcare provider received the following honors:

• Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus
• Get With The Guidelines®-Rural Stroke Gold
• Get With The Guidelines®-Rural Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Gold

The recognition comes at a critical time for public health. According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Statistical Update, heart disease and stroke remain the No. 1 and No. 5 leading causes of death in the United States, respectively. Research shows that stroke patients benefit most when receiving care at hospitals that consistently adhere to proven, scientifically validated clinical practices.

“Vernon Health is committed to delivering high-quality care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely, appropriate care for strokes,” said Shawna Andolsek, manager of emergency nursing services at Vernon Health. “Get With The Guidelines programs help our teams put proven science into practice every day, supporting better outcomes so more people in Viroqua and southwest Wisconsin can live longer, healthier lives.”

The Get With The Guidelines initiative aggregates clinical data from hospitals across the country to assist healthcare providers in keeping their care aligned with the latest scientific standards. To qualify for the Gold-level achievements, Vernon Health demonstrated a prolonged adherence to these rigorous quality standards.

“These awards reflect Vernon Health’s commitment to caring for people in its community who need stroke care,” said Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Vernon Health can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for patients, families and health care systems.”