Finding the right hospital for treating heart disease and stroke is easier, thanks to a new online tool from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA).

A new interactive map featured on www.heart.org/myhealthcare lets you search by city or zip code to find hospitals recognized by AHA/ASA’s quality achievement awards program. Hospitals receiving these awards are "among the best in the nation in following treatment guidelines proven to increase survival rates and reduce readmission rates for heart attack, heart failure, and stroke patients," association officials said.

In the Utica area, Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare was awarded Gold Plus for Stroke under the Get With the Guidelines program, along with qualifying for Target: Stroke Honor Roll status as of May 31.

The hospital map is a tool found on the new www.heart.org/myhealthcare website. Users will also find information and resources to help heart disease and stroke patients and their families learn more about living with these conditions.

The map is not intended for making emergency medical decisions if you are having a heart attack or stroke. If you, or someone you are with, start suffering symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately, association officials stressed.

Emergency medical services personnel are trained in providing urgent treatment and know which hospitals have the best resources to treat heart attack and stroke.

Hospitals on the map have received an achievement award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, or received certification or accreditation through the association’s programs with The Joint Commission or the Society for Chest Pain Centers. Achievement awards are given for care in heart failure, stroke and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Certification is given for primary stroke centers and advanced heart failure care, while accreditation is given for heart attack care to either STEMI receiving hospitals or STEMI referring hospitals.

The map is launching in conjunction with the U.S. News & World Report’s "Best Hospitals" annual issue, which you can find at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals. The issue includes an ad listing the more than 1,000 unique hospitals to receive AHA/ASA achievement awards this year.

The American Heart Association was founded in 1924, and bills itself as the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases it funds research, conducts public and professional educational programs, and advocates the protection of public health.

To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.heart.org.