“Going to a high-volume medical center for heart failure doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have the best outcomes,” Kumbhani said. “Identifying the hospitals that provide the best care is more complicated than that, and patients and health policy makers should recognize that smaller-volume hospitals can deliver outstanding care.” Many of these hospitals are located in rural areas, where patients may not have access to a hospital that treats large numbers of heart failure patients.

He added that hospitals meeting the American Heart Association’s heart failure guidelines are recognized publicly for their achievements.


Study limitations include the fact that hospitals’ participation in the heart failure guidelines program is voluntary, so results may not be generalizable to all hospitals.

Co-authors are Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D.; Paul A. Heidenreich, M.D., M.P.H.; Phillip J. Schulte, Ph.D.; Di Lu, M.S.; Adrian Hernandez, M.D., M.P.H.; Clyde Yancy, M.D.; and Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

There was not external funding of this study.

Additional Resources:

After Jan. 29 EMBARGO DATE, view the manuscript online.
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Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association’s policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

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