UNC Health Nash earns national awards for Heart & Stroke Care
UNC Health Nash received recognition from the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Stroke Association (ASA), and the American College of Cardiology with awards for industry-leading performance in heart and stroke care. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report named Nash ‘High Performing’ for Heart Failure for another year, and for the first time, recognized Nash as ‘High Performing’ for Stroke in its 2025–26 Best Hospitals report.
“This makes nine consecutive years that UNC Health Nash has been recognized as a national leader in heart and stroke care,” said Dr. L. Lee Isley, president and CEO of UNC Health Nash. “This elite status, evidenced by our continued and new national recognitions, reflects the expertise, quality, and consistency our team brings to every patient, every time. Achieving ‘High Performing’ status for stroke with U.S. News & World Report for the first time is a meaningful milestone—and a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering the highest standard of care, right here at home.”
UNC Nash’s awards include the AHA’s "Get With The Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease” for both Gold STEMI Receiving and Gold NSTEMI, as well as "Get With The Guidelines” Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, which includes additional recognition of Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite. All three awards include the added recognition of Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.
To qualify for Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll, UNC Nash had to meet specific quality measures for 12 consecutive months based on the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score” developed by the ASA, which demonstrates that hospitals are equipped to provide high-quality care for this patient population.
The Nash Heart Center also received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for another year and is one of only 323 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. Additionally, UNC Nash was reaccredited as an American College of Cardiology Accredited Primary PCI Chest Pain Center, remains accredited as an Intersocietal Accreditation Commission Accredited Facility for Echocardiography and AHA/ASA Primary Stroke Center, and continues to receive National Quality Approval from The Joint Commission for stroke care.
To earn these awards, UNC Health Nash had to meet rigorous criteria and performance standards that aim to increase the quality and timeliness of care for heart attack and stroke patients.
"To continue to receive the highest awards in heart and stroke care since the Primary PCI Program began nine years ago, as well as add a new designation from U.S. News and World Report, reflects the hard work and dedication our team continues to provide our patients and community,” said Dr. Michael Yeung, Medical Director of Nash Heart Center. “In our efforts to better serve our greater community, our heart care programs continue to grow. In the last nine years, we’ve worked hard to expand our services to include management of electrical rhythm abnormalities, valvular heart disease, peripheral heart disease and acute pulmonary embolism. We also continue to work on novel therapies to treat difficult-to-control hypertension. With the opening of our new, dedicated Electrophysiology Lab, we will soon have a Heart Center that offers comprehensive cardiac care to patients across our entire region.”
The awards recognize UNC Health Nash’s commitment to a high standard of care for stroke and heart attack patients and signifies the hospital treats these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology, AHA and ASA clinical guidelines and recommendations.
“These awards reflect the tireless dedication of our cardiovascular teams,” said Velvie Zabel, Interim Director of Cardiovascular Services at UNC Nash. “I am proud of the way our physicians, nurses, and staff come together each day to deliver exceptional care, and this recognition affirms the impact of their hard work for our patients and community.”
To be rated as ‘High Performing’ in U.S. News “Best Hospitals” Heart Failure and Stroke reports, Nash had to rank “significantly above” the national average in several qualifying categories, including patient outcomes, home recovery, patient experience and more. Out of 140 hospitals state-wide, Nash is one of only 24 hospitals recognized for Heart Failure and one of only 16 for Stroke.
“With our mission to provide the highest level of care possible for our patients, I am proud of these prestigious awards that demonstrate Nash’s industry-leading heart and stroke care,” said Debbie Beecham, UNC Nash stroke program coordinator. “Thank you to all of the providers, nurses and other team members who helped make these awards and recognitions a reality. Their efforts are why we are able to deliver exceptional care right here at home, all while strengthening the health and wellness of our community.”
For more information on heart and stroke care, visit www.unchealthnash.org.
What are STEMI and NSTEMI?
Interventional Cardiologist Michael Yeung explains, “STEMI stands for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow to the heart with a balloon or stent. Every minute counts. NSTEMI stands for a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, which means blockages are partial.”
About UNC Health Nash
UNC Health Nash is a non-profit hospital authority comprised of four licensed hospitals totaling 345 beds: Nash General Hospital, Nash Day Hospital, Coastal Plain Hospital, and the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center. Serving Rocky Mount and surrounding areas, its mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of the community. UNC Health Nash is a managed affiliate of UNC Health Care, an integrated health care system comprised of UNC Hospitals and its provider network, UNC Faculty Physicians, UNC Physicians Network, the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine and nine other hospitals and hospital systems across the state.
About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.
About Get With The Guidelines
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 56,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.
