Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County recognized for advancing rural stroke care
HUNTINGDON, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2026 - Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines — Rural Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award for delivering high-quality stroke care to patients in Carroll County and surrounding rural communities.
People living in rural communities have an average life expectancy three years shorter than those in urban areas and face a 30% higher risk of dying from stroke, according to an American Heart Association presidential advisory on rural health. That gap has widened over the past two decades, and the hospital is committed to helping change that.
Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I am proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence and grateful to the American Heart Association for recognizing the vital work we do each day to improve the lives of Carroll County residents affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival.
Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching brain tissue. Without prompt treatment, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, reducing disability and supporting recovery.
The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines — Rural Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment based on nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines, helping save lives and reduce disability.
“Patients and health care professionals in Carroll County face unique health care challenges and opportunities,” said Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and co-author of the Association’s rural health advisory. “Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County has advanced the important work of improving care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”
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 18 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County is a 70-bed facility in Huntingdon, Tennessee, that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical care to West Tennessee in a variety of specialized areas, including cardiac care, pediatrics, general surgery, physical therapy and palliative care, among others. The hospital offers advanced medical technology, such as 3D mammography and the Baptist TeleHealth Center, powered by TeleGuardian. Baptist Carroll County has earned many awards and recognitions, including the Tennessee Quality Award, Premier Inc.’s QUEST Award for High-Valued Healthcare, the QUEST Hero Award, the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval in 2015 and multiple “A” Hospital Safety grades from the Leapfrog Group. The hospital was one of only two in Tennessee named to the Chartis Center for Rural Health 2025 Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals list. Baptist Carroll County also operates an outpatient surgery department in Jackson, Tennessee, offering convenient access to same-day surgical services with advanced capabilities. To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Facebook.
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