Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County recognized for advancing rural stroke care
New Albany, Miss., Aug. 25, 2026 – Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union 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 Union 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.
We are proud of our team at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County for being recognized for the important work we do each day to improve the lives of our neighbors affected by stroke, giving them the best chance for recovery and survival. We have made it a priority to ensure the challenges rural hospitals face never compromise the standard of care our stroke patients receive. Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care, and I am proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence.
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 Union 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-Union 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 Union County offers a variety of services, including adult and pediatric inpatient care, cancer care, sleep lab, maternity, orthopedics, surgery, robotic surgery, a 24-hour emergency department and diagnostics. The hospital also has positron emission tomography and computed tomography scans, 3D mammography, TeleHealth services and an eICU. Baptist Union County has an excellent reputation for providing quality care and recently earned multiple “A” Safety Grades from the Leapfrog Group and the Healthgrades 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Facebook.
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