The American Heart Association has announced a three-year funding extension of its Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator through June 2028, continuing its commitment to addressing the substantial health disparities between rural and urban communities. Research shows rural Americans face a 30% higher risk of stroke, are 40% more likely to develop heart disease, and live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts, as documented in the American Heart Association's call to action for addressing rural health inequities.
The extension will provide limited three-year no-cost enrollment opportunities for new rural organizations participating in Get With The Guidelines programs for coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke. Critical Access Hospitals will receive complimentary access to all five Get With The Guidelines programs, including those for atrial fibrillation and resuscitation. All rural program participants will gain access to the peer-to-peer American Heart Association Rural Community Network, dedicated quality program consultants, quarterly learning collaboratives, and educational resources specifically tailored for rural hospital clinicians.
Since its 2022 launch, the Accelerator has significantly expanded rural hospital participation, with 430 hospitals enrolling at no cost and more than 1,000 rural hospitals now engaged in over 1,500 Get With The Guidelines programs nationwide. The program's impact is demonstrated by the nearly 30% increase in recognition awards earned by rural hospitals in 2025 compared to the previous year, with more than 650 facilities receiving awards.
Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, emphasized that "rural hospitals are vital points of access to health care for over 60 million people living in rural communities across the country." The program extension underscores the organization's commitment to enhancing cardiovascular and stroke care through collaboration opportunities, resources, education, and data-driven strategies that improve outcomes and save lives.
Program enhancements include dedicated quality program consultants to support data completeness and validation, continued learning collaboratives tailored for rural clinicians, improvements to the Rural Get With The Guidelines registry and reporting systems, and the launch of the Rural Accelerator Quality Improvement Challenge Scholarship. These initiatives aim to ensure alignment with current scientific standards and relevance for rural healthcare settings while supporting hospitals in sharing model practices at national conferences.
The extension addresses critical health equity issues documented in research such as the Call to Action: Rural Health advisory published in Circulation, which highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions in rural healthcare. By providing sustained support and resources to rural hospitals, the program works to close the health outcome gap affecting millions of Americans in underserved communities.
