MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2026 – Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis recently named Daniel McFarland chief operating officer.

McFarland began his career at Baptist Memorial Health Care as a summer administrative resident in 2017 and most recently served as assistant vice president of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey since 2024.

“I’m excited to welcome Daniel back to Baptist,” said Sam Lynd, administrator and CEO of Baptist Memphis. “Daniel is an impressive leader, sharpened by his experience with nationally recognized health care organizations during the past nine years. We are excited to have him join our leadership team at Baptist Memphis, where he will have tremendous impact on our staff, patients and community.”

After leaving Baptist Memorial, McFarland served at Baptist Health System in Little Rock as administrative graduate assistant from 2017 to 2018 and then joined Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore as administrative fellow and interim assistant administrator of cardiothoracic surgery from 2018 to 2020. He served as assistant administrator of adult cardiac surgery and pediatric heart services within The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore from 2020 to 2022, followed by service line administrator of neurosciences, spine and digestive services for The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston from 2022 until 2024.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas and earned his Master of Health Administration from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. McFarland spends some of his personal time raising and exhibiting Angus cattle and performing as a musician.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, a 706-bed hospital located on an 80-acre medical campus in Memphis, Tennessee, is the flagship hospital of Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the country. Named the No. 1 hospital in the Memphis metropolitan area and No. 2 hospital in the state of Tennessee by U.S. News & World Report for 2026-2027, the hospital serves as a major referral center for patients across the Mid-South and has the only certified adult heart transplant and adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs in the Mid-South. The hospital also offers specialty, diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit baptistonline.org/memphis, call 901-226-5000 or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-memphis.

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This campaign, which started in 2022, is now in the public phase and is the first major fundraising project for Baptist Health Sciences University and Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine. The broader community is now invited to support this initiative.

“Baptist Health Sciences University is grateful for the generous donors and tremendous funding received to help advance the future of health care in the Mid-South,” said Hampton Hopkins, president of Baptist Health Sciences University. “These contributions support scholarships and capital needs for the expansion of Baptist University programs.”

Baptist University will also use funds raised to support technology needs, enhance research, enrich student life experiences and help respond to the predicted shortage of medical professionals.

“This campaign was our first capital campaign for Baptist Health Sciences University and the newly opened Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Robbie Johnson, vice president and chief development officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, this campaign will aid the next generation of health care workers and providers, as well as help with equipment needs and additional space for the university. We are extremely grateful for everyone who participated in this initiative and invested in the future of health care for the Mid-South.”   

Baptist Health Sciences University (formerly known as Baptist College of Health Sciences) was started in 1912. Baptist University offers 15 programs of study, including the Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine, which accepted its first class of students in fall 2024. In 2017, the Memphis Business Journal ranked the college first among Memphis-area colleges and universities for the best return on investment. Based on a comparison of postgraduate earnings with cost of attendance, Baptist University alumni earn more than graduates of any other college or university in the area. Visit www.baptistu.edu for more information.

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Brad Beattie, most recently chief operating officer for Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, will serve as administrator and CEO and will help lead the 134-bed hospital as it transitions to a Baptist Memorial Hospital.

Beattie has more than 20 years of health care experience, starting his health care career as a clinic administrator with Genesis Physical Therapy Group in 2005. He was billing manager for MEA Medical Clinics from 2006 to 2010 and business operations manager for University Physicians PLLC in 2010 before joining Mississippi Baptist Health System. In 2010, he was chief operating officer for Jackson Heart Clinic. By 2014, he was named the executive director of clinic operations for MBMC’s medical group, where he supported a 170-provider group across 30 locations. His role in growing the medical group to more than 250 employed providers across Central Mississippi contributed to his promotion to chief operating officer for MBMC in 2018.

Baptist Memorial committed to making significant investments to enhance the hospital and its services when Rankin County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on June 2 to assign the lease for Merit Health Rankin hospital and its operations to Baptist Memorial Health Care.

Baptist Memorial will host a news conference on Thursday, Oct. 22 to discuss the transition and future of Merit Health Rankin.

Merit Health Rankin is a 134-bed community-oriented hospital located at 350 Crossgates Blvd. in Brandon, Mississippi. The hospital is easily accessible from both Interstate 20 and Highway 80, and offers a wide range of diagnostic, emergency, inpatient and geriatric behavioral health services, including an 18-bed senior care program (geriatric psychiatry).

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 26 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist Memorial employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and Arcare, a community-based health center that provides high-quality primary and preventive care to underserved communities, previously hosted the summit in Mississippi from 2024 to 2025. The summit focused on strengthening cross-sector collaboration and emphasized the importance of health care, public safety, prevention and community partners working together to strengthen recovery by providing informed, compassionate and evidence-based support.

Topics covered include motivational interviewing and person-centered communication, building recovery capital in the Mid-South, reducing stigma, medications for opioid use disorder and bridging misconceptions through shared goals and collaboration.

The summit also included situation table sessions, an audience panel discussion and an emerging trends panel focused on substance use in West Tennessee, including field, laboratory and forensic perspectives.

“The 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit reflects Baptist Memorial Health Care’s commitment to meeting people with compassion and connecting them with evidence-based care,” said Sierra Butler, manager of the Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine. “By uniting professionals and community partners across West Tennessee, we can challenge misinformed perceptions, strengthen access to treatment and help more individuals and families find a path to recovery.”

Dr. Omar Manejwala, a nationally recognized psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist, gave the keynote address about the essential role of connection, community and support in sustaining recovery and improving lives. Other speakers included representatives from the Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other professionals working in the addiction medicine sector.

“Addiction is a community disease,” said Dr. Omar Manejwala, keynote speaker for the 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit. “It takes all hands-on deck to solve this problem in our community.”

Breakout sessions provided an opportunity for summit attendees to network and learn how to understand the role of health care providers in supporting individuals who use recreational drugs, reducing stigma around addiction and providing ongoing support and aftercare during recovery by enhancing trust building skills. The summit also included situation table sessions, an audience panel discussion and an emerging trends panel focused on substance use in West Tennessee, including field, laboratory and forensic perspectives.

“Arcare and Baptist have worked together on many projects over the years,” said Joey Flowers, chief strategy officer of Arcare “This partnership brought us to Memphis and allowed Arcare to establish its first clinic in Tennessee. This collaboration brings innovative clinical services to support providers in addressing the opioid crisis.”

Founded in 1986, Arcare is a medical network striving to fulfill its “Health for All” mission by specializing in primary care, behavioral health, chronic disease care, pharmaceutical care, and insurance. As a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC), Arcare is able to care for every patient regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. For more information, visit www.arcare.net.

Baptist Memorial Health Care formed the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in 2019 to provide immediate, comprehensive treatment for Baptist Memorial Health Care patients with substance and alcohol use disorders. Patients are connected with an addiction medicine specialist and a supporting team of physicians, therapists, social workers, care coordinators and recovery support specialists through teleconsultation and telemedicine to create a seamless path toward treatment and recovery. Through a strategic partnership with Arcare, the Center has expanded access to community-based addiction treatment, strengthened continuity of care and supported recovery services across the Mid-South. To learn more, visit www.baptistonline.org/services/addiction-care.

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WHAT: Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and Arcare, a community-based health center that provides high-quality primary and preventive care to underserved communities, will host the 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit for health care professionals, addiction prevention and recovery specialists, physicians, registered nurses and law enforcement. Summit participants will discuss emerging trends, the state of the opioid epidemic in the Mid-South and best practices for addressing the epidemic in Tennessee and the country. Registration is free. For more information, visit https://www.baptistonline.org/events/substance-use-summit.  

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 2
              8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

WHERE: Memphis Botanic Garden 
                750 Cherry Rd. 
                Memphis, TN 38117

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Health Care formed the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in 2019 to provide immediate, comprehensive treatment for Baptist Memorial Health Care patients with substance and alcohol use disorders. Patients are connected with an addiction medicine specialist and a supporting team of physicians, therapists, social workers, care coordinators and recovery support specialists through teleconsultation and telemedicine to create a seamless path toward treatment and recovery. Through a strategic partnership with Arcare, the Center has expanded access to community-based addiction treatment, strengthened continuity of care and supported recovery services across the Mid-South. To learn more, visit www.baptistonline.org/services/addiction-care.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:

• Dr. Shawn Hamm, Director, Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and Program Director, Baptist Memorial Medical Education
• Joey Flowers, Chief Strategy Officer, Arcare
• Dr. Omar Manjewala, Chief Medical Officer, DarioHealth Corp., Psychiatrist and Keynote Speaker for the 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit 
• Attendees 

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“The flu vaccine remains the most effective way to prevent flu or reduce the severity of infection,” said Brian Hogan, CEO and administrator. “That’s why we continue to host a free flu vaccine event at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto annually. Our staff cares about the health of our community and is committed to preventing illness whenever possible and helping save lives.”

Appointments are not necessary to attend the event and attendees can arrive as early as 3:30 p.m. for the drive-through line, which will start on the south side of the building.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services, as well as open-heart surgery and a number of other cardiovascular services. The hospital completed a $19 million emergency department expansion and renovation project in 2018 that added 20,000 square feet to the facility. An 87,000-square-foot, $55 million physician office building opened on the hospital campus in July 2022. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a Best Regional Hospital and high-performing in eight specialties for 2026–2027, the American Heart Association has acknowledged the hospital for cardiac and stroke care, and the American College of Cardiology named the hospital a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in 2025. For more information, please call 662-772-4000, visit desoto.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-desoto. 

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Bailey is a board-certified nurse practitioner with Baptist Medical Group-Medicine Preoptimization Clinic. Out of 165 nominees from across Baptist Memorial’s 200 clinics and 25 hospitals, Bailey was selected as the best for her exceptional patient care, clinical expertise, leadership and lasting contributions to her clinic.

“It is a privilege to recognize Arika as Baptist Memorial Health Care’s 2026 Advanced Practice Provider of the Year,” said Amanda Comer, chief advanced practice nursing officer for Baptist Medical Group. “She was the first advanced practice provider at the Baptist Medical Group-Medicine Preoptimization Clinic and was instrumental in supporting clinic staff and the growth of the clinic. Arika’s commitment to service and continuous support of advanced practice providers across the Mid-South have helped strengthen the profession and Baptist Memorial Health Care.”

Baptist Memorial presents the APP Award annually during National Advanced Practice Provider Week to advanced practice providers, which includes nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and physician assistants, who demonstrate excellence in promoting positive change in the nursing practice environment. National APP Week is celebrated annually during the fourth week in September. Baptist Memorial recognizes team members at a one-day event designed to educate, inspire and celebrate local APP providers who help ensure patients and communities receive safe, high-quality care.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist Memorial employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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WHAT: Baptist Memorial Health Care and cityCURRENT are hosting a reception featuring Sarah Wells, a former Olympian and star of “The Amazing Race Canada.” Wells will talk about the importance of maternal health, how she overcame adversity, the importance of adaptability and how to transform challenges into opportunities. For more information, visit https://www.baptistonline.org/events/city-current.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 17
6 p.m.

WHERE: Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women Main Lobby
6225 Humphreys Blvd.
Memphis, TN 38120

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist Memorial employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:

• Sarah Wells, former Olympic-medal winning hurdler and star of “The Amazing Race Canada”
• Dr. Lou Arrindell, neonatologist, Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women

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The 74 students will begin their clinical training at the following hospitals in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee: Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center will have nine students, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will have nine students, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle will have three students, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis will have 22 students, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi will have five students, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County will have five students, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center will have 19 students and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital will have two students.

“This is an incredible milestone for the students and faculty of Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Hampton Hopkins, president of Baptist Health Sciences University. “All of the students that started with our inaugural class in 2024 are continuing to the next phase of their training. As they advance professionally and in their practice of medicine, they will help strengthen our community, reduce the gaps in medical care and increase access to high-quality health care professionals across the region.”

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects a shortage of almost 70,000 primary care physicians by 2036 and an equal shortage of specialty physicians.

“I am so proud of these students and their dedication to their training and this region,” Hopkins said. “Data show many medical students often stay in the communities where they train. Our hope is that these students will choose to stay in the Mid-South and make a difference for the next generation of patients.”

Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine is the first school for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine in Memphis and West Tennessee and one of 15 majors of study offered by the university. As part of Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems with 25 hospitals across Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine students have the unique opportunity to study and train at some of the best hospitals and with one of the largest multispecialty physician groups in the Mid-South. Like medical doctors, DOs complete four years of medical school, followed by residency and fellowship training. The primary campus for the school includes a 100,000-square-foot building with the latest medical technology in Memphis’ medical district.

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Anderson will be the executive advisor of community and strategic development for Baptist Memorial Health Care. In this position, he will focus on community engagement and strategic development initiatives.

Anderson plans to stay in this new position for the next year while helping transition Baptist Anderson’s new leadership team before retiring in October 2027. A new administrator/CEO for Baptist Anderson has not yet been named.

Anderson, who was elected the 2026-2027 chair of the Mississippi Hospital Association board of governors on July 1, began his career with Baptist Anderson, formerly Anderson Regional Health System, in 1990 as an assistant administrator. He advanced to vice president of operations in 1997 and administrator of Baptist Anderson-South before becoming CEO of the health system in 2015. His key achievements include leading the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing the 2024 merger with Baptist Memorial.

Anderson holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science in health administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a past fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the MHA Committee on Legislation.

Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the U.S., in January 2024. Founded by Dr. William Jefferson Anderson in 1928, the hospital became the leader in offering premier medical services in Meridian, Mississippi, with 260 patient beds on its north campus and 140 beds on its south campus. Providing unparalleled care in East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama, Baptist Anderson offers access to the area’s only cancer center, including radiation oncology and medical oncology services, a level III trauma emergency department with helipad service, advanced intensive care and cardiac care units, a maternity program with a level III newborn ICU, an inpatient pediatric center, a medically based fitness center and a network of primary care, specialty and rural health clinics. For more information, visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/anderson or follow us on Facebook.

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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.

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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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.

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 Paragould 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-Paragould 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-basedguidelines. 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 Paragould provides progressive, compassionate health care to residents throughout Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. A 129-bed hospital with eight medical clinics, inpatient rehabilitation services, multiple medical specialties and a 91-bed assisted living facility, the hospital has received multiple recognitions for its cardiovascular and women’s health care. Formerly named Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, Baptist Paragould merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care in March 2026. To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/baptistmemorialparagould/.

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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.

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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Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis was named the Best Regional Hospital in Memphis and the No. 2 hospital in Tennessee. Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson was named the Best Regional Hospital in Mississippi and Jackson; and Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi, was recognized for the first time as a Best Regional Hospital, making the list just behind Mississippi Baptist Medical Center for the No. 2 spot in Mississippi and the No. 3 spot in metro Memphis.

In addition to its Best Regional Hospital designation, Baptist Memphis earned High Performing ratings in 15 procedures and conditions: heart bypass surgery; back surgery; hip fracture; colon cancer surgery; lung cancer surgery; ear, nose and throat surgery; leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; heart failure; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); heart attack; diabetes; kidney failure; pneumonia; heart arrhythmia and stroke.

Mississippi Baptist Medical Center earned High Performing ratings in nine procedures and conditions: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; colon cancer surgery; prostate cancer surgery; gynecological cancer surgery; leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; heart failure; diabetes; kidney failure and stroke.

Baptist DeSoto earned High Performing ratings in eight procedures and conditions: colon cancer surgery; heart failure; COPD; heart attack; diabetes; kidney failure; pneumonia and stroke.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, earned High Performing ratings in six procedures and conditions: hip fracture; COPD; heart attack; diabetes; kidney failure and pneumonia.

NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas, earned High Performing ratings in three conditions: diabetes, kidney failure and pneumonia.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany, Mississippi, and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in Covington, Tennessee, each earned a High Performing rating for pneumonia.

The annual U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings are designed to help patients make informed decisions about where to receive care for complex health conditions and common procedures. Hospitals are evaluated using objective measures, such as patient outcomes and experience, staffing and other quality metrics. For more information about the 2026-2027 Best Hospitals rankings and methodology, visit the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals website.

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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Priority will operate on a fee for service basis and will provide the ambulances, branded Baptist Ambulance, for the county. The new contract will go into effect on Dec. 1.

Local crews and leadership will be dedicated to Oktibbeha County and will be supported by the clinical, operational, fleet and surge resources of the broader Priority Ambulance national network. The organization will work collaboratively with Baptist Memorial, Oktibbeha County, local first responders, emergency management, law enforcement and other community stakeholders to support both 911 emergency response and interfacility transportation operations across a multistate service area.

Under the Baptist Ambulance brand, the company serves more than 50,000 patients annually through a team of more than 450 EMS professionals and a fleet of more than 80 ambulances and support vehicles, and can provide additional ambulances, personnel, leadership support and specialized capabilities during high-demand periods, major incidents or disasters. Over the past decade, Baptist Memorial’s partnership with Priority has expanded to serve multiple counties across Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.

MedStat Emergency Medical Services will continue to provide emergency medical and transport services for the county until the new agreement goes into effect.

Baptist Memorial Health Care acquired Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County (formerly OCH Regional Medical Center) on Oct. 1, 2025. The 96-bed hospital offers 21 medical specialties to families in a seven-county area surrounding Starkville, Mississippi. More than 13 clinics and medical practices are associated with the hospital, from family medicine to medical specialties that include breast health, cardiology, orthopedics, sleep medicine, surgery, pain management, wound care and more. For more information, visit och.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OCHRegionalMedicalCenter/.

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The six leaders promoted, along with the one retirement, include the following:

· Paul Cade, VP/metro market leader, Baptist Memorial Health Care

· Sam Lynd, administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis

· Craig Earley, administrator and CEO, NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital

· Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County

· Kevin Redd, chief administrative officer, Baptist Union City and Baptist Carroll County

· Alicia Poczekaj, associate administrator, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville

· Susan Breeden, former administrator and CEO, Baptist Carroll County

For the past three years, Cade served in a dual role as Baptist Memorial vice president and metro market leader and Baptist Memphis’ administrator and CEO. With this promotion, he will now focus full time on his market leader responsibilities.

Cade began his career at Baptist Memorial in 1993, serving in several leadership roles at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mississippi, before becoming the administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City. Cade returned to Baptist Golden Triangle as associate administrator in 2004 and served as administrator and CEO from 2008 to 2023 before moving to the Memphis metro market.

Lynd most recently served as CEO of NEA Baptist, which included the hospital and clinics, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He joined Baptist Memorial in 2011 as a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow and earned an MBA and Master of Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

During the last 15 years, Lynd has held progressive leadership roles, including assistant administrator positions at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany, Mississippi, and NEA Baptist; CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in Covington, Tennessee; system service line administrator for emergency services; and chief operating officer of Baptist Memphis.

Craig Earley was named administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. Prior to that, he served as chief operating officer of Baptist Memphis. Earley joined Baptist Memorial in 2013 as a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow, earning an MBA and Master of Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He then served in several leadership roles at NEA Baptist and Baptist Memphis.

Susan Breeden has retired from Baptist after 32 years of dedicated service. On July 31, she stepped down as administrator and CEO of Baptist Carroll County in Huntingdon, Tennessee, a role she held since 1997. During her tenure, Breeden led the successful acquisition of McKenzie Medical Center, the expansion of emergency services at Baptist Carroll County and the development of the Baptist Outpatient Surgery Center in Jackson, Tennessee.

Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO of Baptist Union City, will now also serve as administrator and CEO of Baptist Carroll County in a combined role, effective Aug. 1. He has more than two decades of Baptist leadership experience, including serving as CEO of Baptist Union City and Baptist Tipton.

Kevin Redd became chief administrative officer of Baptist Union City and Baptist Carroll County, effective June 26. He most recently served as associate administrator of Baptist Collierville. Redd began his Baptist Memorial career in 2013 with Baptist Health Services Group. He was selected for the Frank Groner Administrative Fellowship Program in 2020 and later served as administrative director of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi.

Alicia Poczekaj replaced Redd as associate administrator of Baptist Collierville, effective June 26. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and earned a Master of Health Administration from the University of Memphis. Poczekaj began her career with Baptist in 2016 as a liaison and clinical quality manager at the Baptist Clinical Research Institute. Poczekaj then served in several roles, including manager for TCPI Quality Improvement, project manager for BestHealth by Baptist and system project manager for the research institute. She also became a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow in 2022, earned her Project Management Professional certification and became system director of transformation and project management in 2023.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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Baptist DeSoto received these awards for its commitment to ensuring people experiencing strokes receive timely, appropriate treatment and for its ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for people with heart failure. 

“Baptist DeSoto is committed to delivering high-quality care by following the latest evidence-based treatment guidelines,” said Brian Hogan, CEO and administrator of Baptist DeSoto. “Get With The Guidelines helps our care teams put proven science into practice every day. Research shows this approach can support better recovery, with the ultimate goal of helping more people in DeSoto County and surrounding areas live longer, healthier lives.” 

Each year, participating hospitals qualify for award recognition by demonstrating sustained performance in delivering quality care for patients with heart failure. 

“We are proud to recognize the leadership and dedicated care teams at Baptist DeSoto for their strong commitment to improving care for people living with heart failure,” said Sabra Lewsey, M.D., MPH, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Heart Failure System of Care Advisory Group. “Hospitals that participate in Get With The Guidelines — Heart Failure, a 20-year flagship quality improvement program, often achieve better patient outcomes, including fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — benefitting patients, families, communities and health care systems alike.” 

Baptist DeSoto also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll/Elite Award for reducing the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy. 

“We are proud to recognize Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in its commitment to caring for people experiencing strokes,” said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, including greater likelihood of being discharged home, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a meaningful benefit for health care systems, families and communities.”   

In addition, Baptist DeSoto received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart disease or stroke.

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-DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services, as well as open-heart surgery and a number of other cardiovascular services. The hospital completed a $19 million emergency department expansion and renovation project in 2018 that added 20,000 square feet to the facility. An 87,000-square-foot, $55 million physician office building opened on the hospital campus in July 2022. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a Best Regional Hospital in the metro-Memphis area and Mississippi for 2026–2027, the American Heart Association acknowledged the hospital for cardiac and stroke care, and the American College of Cardiology named the hospital a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in 2025. For more information, please call 662-772-4000, visit desoto.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-desoto. 

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WHAT: Nearly 158 Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine students will volunteer at 10 different community organizations in the metro-Memphis area during orientation. Students will pack food boxes, clean and serve at The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, the Dorothy Day House, Room in the Inn, City View Towers, YMCA, Youth Villages, Collierville Animal Society, MIFA and Elmwood Cemetery. This year marks the third consecutive year of day of service activities for Baptist University students. 

WHEN: Friday, July 31
             9 a.m. to noon

WHERE: YMCA
               7171 Goodlet Farms Pkwy. 
               Cordova, TN 38016 
               Students will be packing food for children. 

BACKGROUND: Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine is the first school for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine in Memphis and West Tennessee and one of 15 majors of study offered by the college of osteopathic medicine. Part of Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems with 25 hospitals across Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s DO students have the unique opportunity to study and train at some of the best hospitals and with one of the largest multispecialty physician groups in the Mid-South. Like medical doctors, Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine students who focus on a holistic, patient-centered medical approach, complete four years of medical school, followed by residency and fellowship training. The primary campus for the school includes a 100,000-square-foot building with the latest medical technology in Memphis’ medical district.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Ryan Costello, assistant clinical sciences professor, Baptist Health Sciences University
• Sarah Stevens, assistant professor of biomedical sciences, Baptist Health Sciences University  
• Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine students 

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The event marked a significant milestone for the $27 million community hospital that will feature an emergency department and inpatient services with advanced telehealth capabilities, inpatient and outpatient imaging services and point-of-care lab services.

The community had the opportunity to sign the beam from July 6 to July 20 at the Fayette County Courthouse located at 16755 Highway 64 in Somerville. The Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette County Industrial Development Board, Flintco, A2H and Baptist Memorial executives signed the beam during the topping out ceremony.

The ritual of topping out to celebrate the completion of a structure dates back more than a thousand years. Contractors and organizations continue the tradition by placing the last or highest structural beam and lifting an evergreen tree, usually with a banner or flag attached.

Located at the northwest corner of Highway 64 and Warren Road near Tennessee Tractor, this will be the only hospital in the 11-city county of more than 41,000 residents, according to the 2020 census.

Flintco, A2H and Covider Health are partners on the development and construction of Baptist Fayette County, which will begin hiring for select clinical positions this summer and fall. Interested candidates can apply at careers.baptistonline.org.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist Memorial employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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WHAT: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will host a free community outreach and trauma injury prevention event in collaboration with the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Mississippi Trauma Care System Foundation. Health care professionals, first responders, other emergency medical community organizations and the community are invited to the two-hour event to learn how to protect themselves from common injuries, access local resources, participate in demonstrations and connect with other leaders on safety, emergency preparedness and injury prevention. There will be giveaways, interactive educational opportunities and door prizes.    

WHEN: Friday, July 31
             10 a.m. to noon

WHERE: Northwest Mississippi Community College 
               Ranger Center 
               1210 Church Road W. 
               Southaven, MS 38671

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services, as well as open-heart surgery and a number of other cardiovascular services. The hospital completed a $19 million emergency department expansion and renovation project in 2018 that added 20,000 square feet to the facility. An 87,000-square-foot, $55 million physician office building opened on the hospital campus in July 2022. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a high-performing hospital in six specialties for 2025–2026, the American Heart Association acknowledged the hospital for cardiac and stroke care, and the American College of Cardiology named the hospital a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in 2025. For more information, please call 662-772-4000, visit desoto.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-desoto. 

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Christina Batton, Quality Improvement Manager, Baptist DeSoto
• Matt Edwards, Director of Trauma Systems, Mississippi Trauma Care System Foundation  
• Attendees 

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The health fair, which is an annual event, will feature more than 40 exhibitors on a variety of topics, including all-terrain vehicle safety, and provide medical, dental and vision clinics. Community resource information and health tips will also be available, and attendees will have the opportunity tour emergency response vehicles. The Mississippi Department of Health will administer free vaccines for children up to 18 years old. Attendees will also receive free backpacks filled with school supplies on a first-come, first-served basis.

Families interested in vaccinations can sign up at this link: Union County Back to School Event 2026.

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 www.baptistonline.org/locations/union-county, or follow us on Facebook at @BaptistUnionCounty.

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WHAT: Mississippi Baptist Medical Center will host a free community outreach and trauma injury prevention event. Health care professionals, community partners and local organizations will share safety, emergency preparedness and injury prevention education, along with providing demonstrations for attendees. This free event is open to the public.    

WHEN: Wednesday, July 8
              8 a.m.-1 p.m. 

WHERE: Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, Atrium  
               1225 North State Street   
               Jackson, MS 39202

BACKGROUND: Named the No. 1 hospital in Mississippi seven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and included on Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 “Great Hospitals in America” list, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center is one of the most decorated hospitals in Mississippi. With 638 licensed beds, Baptist Cancer Center-Jackson, a six-level tower housing the Cardiovascular Center and the Baby-Friendly USA-accredited Baptist for Women, the hospital offers comprehensive quality care. In 2023, the hospital was designated a Level III trauma and primary pediatric center and a Mississippi burn center. MBMC signed a shared mission agreement with Baptist Memorial Health Care in May 2017, making Baptist Memorial one of Mississippi’s largest employers and the largest health care system in the state. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/mbmc or follow us on www.facebook.com/mississippibaptistmedicalcenter.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Michelle Goreth, trauma program manager, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center  
• Attendees 

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This position oversees the implementation and integration of innovative digital solutions, including AI, within Baptist Memorial Health Care's IT services department.

“We are excited to have Debbie join the Baptist Technology Services team,” said Tom Barnett, chief information and digital officer for Baptist Memorial. “She will be a key leader at the intersection of data, digital, workflow and patient care. Her previous experience with health care data warehousing and analytics, along with her clinical application background and capability to apply digital strategies, will help Baptist Memorial accelerate in such areas as artificial intelligence and intelligent automation.”

Sweet has more than 20 years of experience with provider, payer, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health care consulting. She has led large-scale data and AI portfolios, data and analytics strategy, cloud and artificial intelligence initiatives, and digital transformation and governance across complex health care organizations, including health care systems, academic medical centers and clinical research teams.

Sweet has held multiple leadership positions, including serving as practice lead of healthcare and wellness and director of data strategy for Wavicle Data Solutions. She also served as senior manager and managing director of applied intelligence – health and life sciences for Accenture. Sweet has a Bachelor of Arts in economics and management from Albion College and a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management from the University of Phoenix.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist Memorial employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com. 

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Baptist OneCare MyChart offers patients secure online access to their personal medical records and medication history and allows them to request prescription refills, schedule doctor’s appointments and pay medical bills. Patients also can communicate with their medical team and conduct virtual visits and e-visits through the app.  

The MyChart application also includes access to Computrition’s advanced food service automation to optimize food service resources, streamline processes and improve outcomes for patients. OBIX Perinatal Data System, a premier perinatal system for obstetrics, is also a part of Baptist OneCare MyChart and provides complete central, bedside and remote electronic fetal monitoring.

The Baptist OneCare MyChart app is free and available to download on smartphones, tablets and computers. Patients who receive their care at Baptist Oktibbeha County and local Baptist Medical Group clinics can download the app to access their health information. Visit www.baptistonline.org/patients-and-visitors/medical-records to learn more.

Epic is an employee-owned and developer-led software system recognized as the No. 1 Overall Software Suite in KLAS, an award that recognizes software and services companies who excel in helping health care professionals improve patient care, for 16 consecutive years. More than 325 million patients have a current electronic record in Epic.

Baptist Memorial Health Care acquired Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County (formerly OCH Regional Medical Center) on Oct. 1, 2025. The 96-bed hospital offers 21 medical specialties to families in a seven-county area surrounding Starkville, Mississippi. More than 13 clinics and medical practices are associated with the hospital, from family medicine to medical specialties that include breast health, cardiology, orthopedics, sleep medicine, surgery, pain management, wound care and more. For more information, visit och.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OCHRegionalMedicalCenter/.

The Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by promoting cancer prevention, research, education and monitoring of comprehensive quality care. CoC-accredited programs undergo triennial site visits and are evaluated for compliance with patient-centered standards and commitment to providing high-quality cancer care. Baptist Anderson's cancer center has been accredited since the center opened in 2003.

The CoC accreditation program provides the framework for Baptist Cancer Center to improve quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care, including prevention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, optimal treatment, rehabilitation, lifelong follow-up for recurrent disease and end-of-life care.

When patients receive care at a Baptist Cancer Center facility, they also have access to information on clinical trials, new treatments, genetic counseling and patient-centered services, including psychosocial support, a patient navigation process and a survivorship care plan.

Baptist Cancer Center maintains a cancer registry and contributes data to the National Cancer Database, a joint program of the Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society. This nationwide oncology outcomes database is the largest clinical disease registry in the world.

The Commission on Cancer was established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. To earn voluntary Commission on Cancer accreditation, a cancer program must meet more than 30 quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. For more information, visit the American College of Surgeons’ website.

Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the U.S., in January 2024. Founded by Dr. William Jefferson Anderson in 1928, the hospital became the leader in offering premier medical services in Meridian, Mississippi, with 260 patient beds on its north campus and 140 beds on its south campus. Providing unparalleled care in East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama, Baptist Anderson offers access to the area’s only cancer center, including radiation oncology and medical oncology services, a level III trauma emergency department with helipad service, advanced intensive care and cardiac care units, an obstetrics program with a level III newborn ICU, an inpatient pediatric center, a medically based fitness center and a network of primary care, specialty and rural health clinics. For more information, visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/anderson or follow us on Facebook.

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The following Baptist Memorial hospitals earned A’s for spring 2026:

●        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County in Huntingdon, Tennessee

●        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mississippi

●        Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi

●        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City in Union City, Tennessee

●        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany, Mississippi

Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on how safe hospitals are for patients. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public, and grades are updated biannually in the fall and spring.

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Its other main initiative, The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety to help consumers protect themselves and their families.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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Forbes created the list to help consumers navigate the United States health care system. The list is based on a unique rating system that evaluates general acute care hospitals throughout the United States to offer consumers unbiased information on which hospitals can offer top-notch, high-value medical services, as well as provide a benchmark that hospitals can compare their performance against.           

To produce the Forbes Top Hospitals rating system, Forbes enlisted health care measurement experts, including an advisory panel — comprising clinicians, scientists, health policy researchers and patient advocates — and partnered with Inovalon, a health care data and analytics firm, to calculate the ratings. The foundation of the methodology is validated and vetted data extracted from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider Data Catalog. Through this dataset, Forbes identified health care quality measures that assess patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. These measures were chosen specifically because they have been developed and regularly tested by leaders in the health care community to meet rigorous national standards.

Approximately 5,400 general acute care hospitals — which are listed in the CMS PDC and are currently operating in the U.S. — were eligible for consideration. From that initial pool, approximately 2,500 hospitals met the inclusion criteria (detailed in the methodology). The ratings were then calculated, and of these facilities, 253 hospitals received an overall rating of five stars, and 509 hospitals received an overall rating of four stars. These four- and five-star hospitals comprise the first-ever Forbes Top Hospitals list: Forbes Top Hospitals.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 24 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 23,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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Under the new agreement, Baptist Memorial will assume operations of the 134-bed hospital located at 350 Crossgates Blvd. in the second half of this year.

Baptist Memorial has agreed to invest $70 million to enhance the hospital and its services, as well as committed to offering employment to all active 175-plus Merit Health Rankin employees in good standing.

Baptist Memorial is the largest health care network in Mississippi, with 14 hospitals in Mississippi, including Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, recognized as the Best Regional Hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Since 2016, Baptist Memorial has added nine hospitals in Mississippi through merger, acquisition or organic growth.

Baptist Memorial, Community Health Systems and Rankin County have agreed to transfer the lease later this year after transition activities have been completed and all regulatory approvals provided.

Rankin County is one of the largest and most populated counties in the state of Mississippi and ranks as the second fastest growing county in the state. Rankin County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state; top-rated schools; safe, family-oriented neighborhoods; and many recreational opportunities.

Merit Health Rankin is a 134-bed community-oriented hospital located at 350 Crossgates Blvd. in Brandon, Mississippi, and currently operated by Brandon HMA, LLC, an affiliate of Community Health Systems. The hospital is easily accessible from both Interstate 20 and Highway 80, and offers a broad range of diagnostic, emergency, inpatient and geriatric behavioral health services, including an 18-bed senior care program (geriatric psychiatry).

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 2, 2026 – Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis will be hiring experienced nurses for its expanding emergency department at a job fair on Wednesday, June 3 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Hosted in the hospital’s seminar rooms at 6019 Walnut Grove Road, the event is the first in a series of hiring events for the ER, which will expand from 54 beds to 74 beds and introduce the Mid-South’s first two-story ER.

“This is an exciting opportunity for nurses to advance their careers while joining one of the best hospitals in the state,” said Cara Beard, chief nursing officer for Baptist Memphis. “These candidates will get to work with our new ER leadership team and top staff in modern facilities to deliver exceptional care for the Mid-South.”

The updated ER is slated to open in early fall 2026.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, a 706-bed hospital located on an 80-acre medical campus in Memphis, Tennessee, is the flagship hospital of Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the country. Named as the No. 1 hospital in the Memphis metropolitan area and No. 2 hospital in the state of Tennessee by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025, it serves as a major referral center for patients across the Mid-South and has the only certified adult heart transplant and adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs in the Mid-South. The hospital also offers specialty, diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit baptistonline.org/memphis, call 901-226-5000 or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-memphis.

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Baptist Memorial’s Technology Services team received the CSO award at the annual CSO Cybersecurity Awards & Conference, held May 11-13, 2026. The event brings together security technology and industry professionals to discuss cybersecurity excellence.

“This year’s award winners show how security teams have repositioned themselves as strategic business enablers,” said Beth Kormanik, content director of the CSO Cybersecurity Awards & Conference. “They tackle business challenges by leveraging new technology and ideas and delivering detailed planning and strong execution. Their organizations are stronger for these efforts that protect revenue continuity, improve resilience and strengthen compliance. We congratulate them and look forward to celebrating them at the CSO Cybersecurity Awards & Conference."

Other 2026 CSO Award winners include Accenture, Adobe, Aflac, Docusign, Gates Corporation, Genesys, Medtronic PLC, National Cybersecurity Alliance, Newsmax, Salesforce, Uber Technologies Inc. and United Airlines

CSO serves enterprise security decision-makers and users with the critical information they need to stay ahead of evolving threats and defend against criminal cyberattacks. With incisive content that addresses all security disciplines, from risk management to network defense to fraud and data loss prevention, CSO offers unparalleled depth and insight to support key decisions and investments for IT security professionals. www.csoonline.com

The CSO Awards recognize organizations for security projects and initiatives demonstrating outstanding business value and thought leadership. The CSO Hall of Fame honors leaders who have significantly contributed to advancing information risk management and security. Inductees exemplify the qualities of leadership and excellence and, by their example, contribute to improving security across all organizations. Award winners are honored at the CSO Cybersecurity Awards & Conference.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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WHAT: Mississippi Baptist Medical Center will release butterflies in honor of cancer survivors and National Cancer Survivors Day. This free event, open to cancer survivors, their families and supporters, will feature live music from Mississippian Raphael Semmes.

WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2026
              4 p.m. 

WHERE: Baptist Cancer Center Serenity Garden 
               1227 North State Street   
               Jackson, MS 39202

BACKGROUND: National Cancer Survivors Day is held annually on the first Sunday in June. The commemoration celebrates and inspires cancer survivors, recognizes those who have supported cancer survivors and serves as a call to action for further research, more resources and increased public awareness to improve the lives of cancer survivors.

Named the No. 1 hospital in Mississippi seven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and included on Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 “Great Hospitals in America” list, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center is one of the most decorated hospitals in Mississippi. MBMC has 638 licensed beds and includes Baptist Cancer Center-Jackson and a six-level tower housing the Cardiovascular Center and Baptist for Women, which is Baby-Friendly USA accredited. The hospital has received numerous awards and recognition for its excellent care, including multiple recognitions from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology in 2025 and 15 High Performing Hospital designations from U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026. MBMC signed a shared mission agreement with Baptist Memorial Health Care in May 2017, making Baptist Memorial one of Mississippi’s largest employers and the largest health care system in the state. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/mbmc or follow us on www.facebook.com/mississippibaptistmedicalcenter.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Deniece Ponder, RN, regional oncology director, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
• Raphael Semmes, cancer survivor 

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MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 28, 2026 –Baptist Cancer Center will celebrate cancer survivors and their loved ones at the fourth annual Rhythm of Life Cancer Survivor Celebration and Awareness Day on Thursday, June 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Shelby Farms Park, 6903 Great View Drive North.

The community is invited to this free event, featuring live music, local food trucks, a photo booth, cancer screening education and MEGA Colon, a walk-through, interactive colon exhibit that helps visitors learn how to improve overall colon health and reduce risks for colorectal cancer. Two Baptist Cancer Center patients will also share their stories at the event.

“We are excited to continue this inspiring, uplifting and joyful event to celebrate and support community members whose lives have been affected by cancer,” said Parker Harris, administrator of Baptist Cancer Center. “Baptist Cancer Center has a THRIVE Survivorship Program, so we can help cancer survivors live their best lives. It’s important to recognize and support cancer survivors so they know they aren’t fighting alone.”

National Cancer Survivors Day is held annually on the first Sunday in June. The commemoration celebrates and inspires cancer survivors, recognizes those who have supported cancer survivors and serves as a call to action for further research, more resources and increased public awareness to improve the lives of cancer survivors.

For more information about Rhythm of Life, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2026-rhythm-of-life-cancer-survivor-celebration-and-awareness-day-tickets-1985762941413?msockid=1a45dd4874ea68672cfaca6175846931.

Baptist Cancer Center provides world-class cancer care close to home throughout Baptist Memorial Health Care’s tristate area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, Baptist Cancer Center offers treatment, research, support services, community education and the area's first genetic counseling and testing program for cancer. Baptist Cancer Center also has the Mid-South's only adult myelosuppression unit and is one of 45 National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program grant locations across the country offering leading-edge clinical trials. In 2018, Baptist Cancer Center was awarded its second $9 million research grant under NCORP to continue to build its clinical trial infrastructure across the Mid-South. In 2020, Baptist Memorial Health Care launched the Mid-South Miracle, a multifaceted initiative aimed at reducing lung cancer deaths in the Mid-South 25% by 2030. For more information, please visit baptistcancercenter.com, or follow us on Facebook at @baptistcancercenter.

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The 100 Top Hospitals program evaluates hospitals using publicly available data and recognizes those delivering strong performance across clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health. To determine this year’s winners, Premier researchers evaluated 2,540 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals using publicly available data from Medicare Cost Reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare.

If all hospitals operated at the level of this year’s top performers, it would have the following impact for Medicare patients admitted to the hospital:

• More than 279,000 additional lives saved
• More than 477,000 additional complication-free patients
• More than $14.3 billion in inpatient cost savings
• More than 21,700 fewer patients readmitted within 30 days

“Premier’s 100 Top Hospitals program recognizes healthcare organizations that consistently deliver high-quality care while improving operational efficiency, financial performance and the patient experience,” said David Zito, President of Performance Services at Premier. “By highlighting top performers and providing transparent, data-driven insights, this program helps hospitals nationwide identify opportunities to enhance care delivery, strengthen financial sustainability and improve outcomes for the communities they serve.”

This year’s benchmark hospitals outperformed peer hospitals across all 10 performance measures and in every comparison group. Hospitals do not apply to participate in the study and winners do not pay to market the honor. All hospitals included in the analysis receive a complimentary, customized performance report at no cost comparing performance to peers and top-performing hospitals. For more information, including the full list of winners and detailed methodology, visit www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/mh-premier-100-top-hospitals-2026/.

Premier Inc. is a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement company. Playing a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, Premier unites providers, suppliers and payers to make healthcare better with national scale, smarter with actionable intelligence and faster with novel technologies. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier offers integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, advisory services and other solutions in service of our mission to improve the health of communities. Please visit Premier’s news site at www.premierinc.com; as well as X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Premier’s blog for more information about the Company.

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 www.baptistonline.org/locations/union-county, or follow us on Facebook at @BaptistUnionCounty.

Located at the northwest corner of Highway 64 and Warren Road near Tennessee Tractor, this will be the only hospital in the 11-city county of more than 41,000 residents, according to the 2020 census. The community hospital will feature eight emergency department beds and eight inpatient beds, with advanced telehealth capabilities, inpatient and outpatient imaging services and point-of-care lab services on site.

Flintco, A2H and Covider Health are partners on the development and construction of the $27 million hospital, which is expected to open in spring 2027.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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WHAT: Mississippi Baptist Medical Center will celebrate newborn intensive care unit patients (babies who spent time in the newborn ICU and eventually transitioned to pediatric primary care) this week. The reunion is open to all patients and their families. This year’s reunion theme is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” and will feature a photo booth, face painting, games and refreshments. Nurses, physicians and staff will be present as well. 

WHEN: Saturday, April 25  
              10 a.m.–noon

WHERE: Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, Atrium 
               1225 North State Street   
               Jackson, MS 39202

BACKGROUND: Named the No. 1 hospital in Mississippi seven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and among Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 “Great Hospitals in America,” Mississippi Baptist Medical Center is one of the most decorated hospitals in Mississippi. MBMC has 638 licensed beds and is home to Baptist Cancer Center, a six-level tower housing the Cardiovascular Center and Baptist for Women, which is Baby-Friendly USA accredited. The hospital has received numerous awards and recognition for its excellent care, including multiple recognitions from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology in 2025 and 15 High Performing Hospital designations from U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026. MBMC signed a shared mission agreement with Baptist Memorial Health Care in May 2017, making Baptist Memorial one of Mississippi’s largest employers and the largest health care system in the state. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/mbmc or follow us on www.facebook.com/mississippibaptistmedicalcenter.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Former patient families
• Neonatologist 

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WHAT: Baptist Memorial Health Care will host the 27th Art of Caring, benefiting the Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief. The event will include live music, food, a photo booth and the opportunity to create personal works of art. An online auction featuring original works of art by local and regional artists will open on April 9 and close during the event. All event proceeds will support free bereavement services for children, teens and adults throughout the Mid-South. For more information and registration, visit https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-001C000001fopooIAA/events/vevt:498b8684-6d6b-4eaa-a7c9-af16496ac732/home/story.

WHEN: Thursday, April 16  
              6–8:30 p.m. 

WHERE: FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park    
               415 Great View Drive East, Suite 103  
               Cordova, TN 38134

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation supports the healing, teaching and preaching mission of Baptist Memorial Health Care, a 25-hospital system with locations in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. One-hundred percent of gifts donated are used for the designated purpose, and staff members’ salaries are paid from interest earned on the investment portfolio. Go to bmhgiving.org for more information.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Local artists
• Angela Hamblen Kelly, Administrator of Bereavement Services, Baptist Memorial Health Care
• Carol Bubnick, Baptist Memorial Health Care employee and longtime donor
• Robbie Johnson, Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation
   

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                    WHEN:           Friday, April 10, 2026

                                           1 p.m.

                     WHERE:        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, flagpole near main entrance

                      6027 Walnut Grove Road      

                      Memphis, TN 38120

BACKGROUND: The Baptist Heart Institute at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis offers comprehensive heart services, including the only certified adult heart transplant and adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs in the Mid-South. Baptist also offers advanced cardiac care for patients through the Baptist Advanced Heart Failure Program. As a premier heart diagnostic, treatment and research facility, Baptist Heart Institute is the region’s largest and most comprehensive provider of mechanical and circulatory support devices and therapies.

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPY OPPORTUNITIES:

·         Heart transplant patients

·         Kimberly Sharpe, Heart transplant recipient on March 14, 2025, Honorary flag bearer of the Mid-South Transplant Donate Life flag

·         Dr. Dmitry Yaranov, Director of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Baptist Heart Institute

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This achievement recognizes hospitals for providing top-quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital visits. Baptist Union County is among the top 10% of hospitals in the country for patient safety and is the only hospital in Mississippi to receive this recognition from Healthgrades.

Patients treated in award-winning facilities were significantly less likely to experience the four most common patient safety indicators, which represent a serious, preventable complication and account for 78% of all safety events. According to Healthgrades’ annual analysis, if all hospitals performed as well as the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award winners, 100,819 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024.

The Patient Safety Excellence Award is based on an analysis of inpatient Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data that measures clinical performance across 13 patient safety indicators. To be eligible for this award, hospitals must meet certain clinical quality thresholds, have zero instances of a foreign object left behind during a procedure and have data on at least seven out of eight core patient safety indicators.

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors and hospitals. As the No. 1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in health care transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their health care professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

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 www.baptistonline.org/locations/union-county, or follow us on Facebook at @BaptistUnionCounty.

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WHAT: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will host a free community baby fair. Nurses, obstetricians, pediatricians and other child health experts will be on hand to share information and answer questions about car seat and seat belt safety, healthy pregnancy, infant CPR and breastfeeding and lactation support services, among other topics. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour Baptist DeSoto’s Women’s Pavillion, including the obstetrical emergency department. There will be a photo booth, giveaways, educational materials and door prizes. 

WHEN: Saturday, May 2 
              10 a.m.–1 p.m. 

WHERE: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, Main Floor, Outpatient Waiting Area 
               7601 Southcrest Pkwy.
               Southaven, MS 38671

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services, as well as open-heart surgery and a number of other cardiovascular services. The hospital completed a $19 million emergency department expansion and renovation project in 2018 that added 20,000 square feet to the facility. An 87,000-square-foot, $55 million physician office building opened on the hospital campus in July 2022. U.S. News & World Report recognized the hospital as a high-performing hospital in six specialties for 2025–2026, the American Heart Association acknowledged the hospital for cardiac and stroke care, and the American College of Cardiology named the hospital a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in 2025. For more information, please call 662-772-4000, visit desoto.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook at @baptistmemorialhospital-desoto. 

INTERVIEW/PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES:     

• Lori Porter, Mother-Baby Unit Nurse Manager, Baptist DeSoto
• Attendees 
   

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The merger, first discussed in April 2025, includes the transfer of all AMMC assets, including the 129-bed hospital, 91-bed Chateau on the Ridge Assisted Living facility and eight medical clinics, to Baptist Memorial Health Care, and renaming the hospital to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Paragould.

Miller and Little were joined by Melanie Edens, newly appointed administrator and CEO of Baptist Paragould, and more than 75 Baptist Memorial and AMMC employees and community members for the news conference, in which Baptist unveiled the new hospital name.

During the news conference, Edens also shared that Baptist would begin installation of its electronic health record system, powered by Epic, the most widely used and comprehensive EHR in the country, at the Paragould hospital. Other changes will include strategic growth through physician recruitment, expansion of services and implementation of telehealth support.

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center was founded in 1949 as a three-room hospital and grew to have a regional presence as a 129-bed hospital with eight clinics and a 91-bed assisted living facility.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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Dr. Mourad will replace Dr. Keith Everett who retired on Feb. 28 after serving as the hospital’s CMO since 2019.

Mourad has more than 15 years of experience in hospital medicine, health care leadership and medical administration and has worked as a hospitalist at Baptist Anderson since 2009. He concurrently held positions with Keystone Healthcare Partners as chief medical officer and vice president of business development (2023 until 2026) and director of hospital medicine/VP of business development (2016 to 2023). He also held medical director positions with Coastal Urgent Care, Ascension Sacred Heart Bay Hospital, Compassus Hospice and Grifols Plasma Biological Services.

Dr. Mourad has worked alongside Dr. Everett for a number of months to ensure a seamless transition of the role.

“I am grateful to Dr. Everett for his dedication and support of Baptist Anderson,” said Anderson. “He came out of retirement from private practice for this position in 2019 and has made many great contributions to the hospital since that time. He is an incredible leader and trusted advisor, and I wish him a happy and long retirement.”

Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the U.S., in January 2024. Founded by Dr. William Jefferson Anderson in 1928, the hospital became the leader in offering premier medical services in Meridian, Mississippi, with 260 patient beds on its north campus and 140 beds on its south campus. Providing unparalleled care in East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama, Baptist Anderson offers access to the area’s only cancer center, including radiation oncology and medical oncology services, a level III trauma emergency department with helipad service, advanced intensive care and cardiac care units, a maternity program with a level III newborn ICU, an inpatient pediatric center, a medically based fitness center and a network of primary care, specialty and rural health clinics. For more information, visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/anderson or follow us on Facebook. 

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The merger, which began with the signing of a shared mission agreement in April 2025, includes a transfer of all AMMC assets, including the 129-bed hospital, 91-bed Chateau on the Ridge Assisted Living facility and eight medical clinics, to Baptist Memorial Health Care. AMMC has more than 500 employees, who immediately transitioned to Baptist Memorial Health Care.

Melanie Edens, most recently chief operating officer of NEA Baptist, has been selected to lead the hospital as CEO and administrator following the retirement of Brad Bloemer. Bloemer announced his plans to retire in February after serving in the leadership role since July 2023, and Edens moved into the role on March 1.

Edens has more than 27 years of health care experience at NEA Baptist. She began her career with the organization as a student diagnostic CT technologist in 1998 and worked her way up to director of radiology in 2003. She was promoted to associate administrator in 2015 and COO in 2020. She has a bachelor’s degree in radiologic sciences and a master’s degree in business from Arkansas State University.

Baptist Memorial Health Care now has three hospitals in Arkansas — in Crittenden, Craighead and Greene counties. Baptist, which had a net operating revenue of $4.9 billion in fiscal year 2025, most recently successfully completed mergers with OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville, Mississippi, in 2025; Anderson Regional Health System in Meridian, Mississippi, in 2024; and Mississippi Baptist Health System based in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2017.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 23,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.com.

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Eon uses AI technology to extract incidental nodule findings, tumors discovered during scans for other medical reasons, and quickly place patients into follow-up care pathways. The technology has helped Baptist Cancer Center detect more than 625 lung cancers throughout the Mid-South since October 2024.

Ion allows physicians to target and assess nodules deep in the peripheral lung, where more than 70% of cancerous nodules may be located, resulting in more accurate lung biopsies and earlier lung cancer detection. With Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy technology, the likelihood of diagnosis increases by 83%.

“We are proud to invest in innovative technology that improves care for our community,” said Dr. Richmond (Ric) Alexander, pulmonologist with Meridian Medical Associates, a department of Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center. “We know that early detection of lung cancer is key to improving patient outcomes. With this technology, we have the advantage of detecting lung cancer early when it is most treatable and patients have more options.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. However, when diagnosed at the earliest stage, the average five-year survival rate is 92%.

Baptist Cancer Center provides world-class cancer care close to home throughout Baptist Memorial Health Care’s tristate area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, Baptist Cancer Center offers treatment, research, support services, community education and the area's first genetic counseling and testing program for cancer. Baptist Cancer Center also has the Mid-South's only adult myelosuppression unit and is one of 45 National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program grant locations across the country offering leading-edge clinical trials. In 2018, Baptist Cancer Center was awarded its second $9 million research grant under NCORP to continue to build its clinical trial infrastructure across the Mid-South. In 2020, Baptist Memorial Health Care launched the Mid-South Miracle, a multifaceted initiative aimed at reducing lung cancer deaths in the Mid-South 25% by 2030. For more information, please visit baptistcancercenter.com, or follow us on Facebook at @baptistcancercenter.

Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center merged with Baptist Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health care systems in the U.S., in January 2024. Founded by Dr. William Jefferson Anderson in 1928, the hospital became the leader in offering premier medical services in Meridian, Mississippi, with 260 patient beds on its north campus and 140 beds on its south campus. Providing unparalleled care in East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama, Baptist Anderson offers access to the area’s only cancer center, including radiation oncology and medical oncology services, a level III trauma emergency department with helipad service, advanced intensive care and cardiac care units, an obstetrics program with a level III newborn ICU, an inpatient pediatric center, a medically based fitness center and a network of primary care, specialty and rural health clinics. For more information, visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/anderson or follow us on Facebook.com/baptistanderson.

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The hospital last held the official designation in 2024. Level III trauma hospitals can provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, emergency operations and stabilization, as well as arrange for transfer to a facility that can provide definitive trauma care when needed. Level III trauma centers also provide continuous general surgical coverage.

Baptist Oktibbeha County will maintain the level III trauma designation for three years.

Baptist Memorial Health Care acquired Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County (formerly OCH Regional Medical Center) on Oct. 1, 2025. The 96-bed hospital offers 21 medical specialties to families in a seven-county area surrounding Starkville, Mississippi. More than 13 clinics and medical practices are associated with the hospital, from family medicine to medical specialties that include breast health, cardiology, orthopedics, sleep medicine, surgery, pain management, wound care and more. For more information, visit och.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OCHRegionalMedicalCenter/.

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Carruth, recognized as an expert in respiratory and pulmonary medicine, has worked in West Tennessee since 1996. He will work closely with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County and local providers to treat respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic cough, shortness of breath and other lung conditions.

Carruth has held multiple leadership positions, including serving as director of respiratory therapy for Henry County Medical Center and chief of staff for Regional Hospital of Jackson. From 1996 until 2019, Carruth had his own medical practice, Pulmonary Medicine Clinic in Jackson and, most recently, he provided pulmonology services for Henry County Medical Center/Paris Pulmonary Clinic in Paris.

For more information, call 731-986-7450.

Baptist Medical Group is regarded as one of the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practices in the Mid-South, employing more than 1,500 providers and representing more than 50 specialties in West Tennessee, East Arkansas and Mississippi. BMG was established to provide an integrated approach that emphasizes physician collaboration and coordination to offer patients greater convenience and excellent patient care. Baptist Medical Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baptist Memorial Health Care, is a patient-centered and professionally managed organization that provides a comprehensive range of care for all ages. For more information, visit baptistdoctors.org. 

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The Baptist Heart Mobile Cardiovascular Unit will offer heart and vascular screenings, bundled into brief basic and advanced screening packages that include heart risk assessments, electrocardiograms, ankle-brachial index tests, abdominal aorta ultrasound scans and more.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Mississippi and has been linked to obesity, smoking and physical inactivity. A recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health led by two University of Mississippi professors found physician availability had a protective role on cardiovascular disease outcomes, and even small increases in the number of primary care physicians in an area could produce a substantial improvement in chronic heart disease and survival rates.

Baptist Heart’s mobile cardiovascular unit will be staffed by two to three health care professionals, including a mobile cardiovascular unit coordinator, who will provide health education and review results with patients. For more information, visit baptistheart.org/mobile.

Named the No. 1 hospital in Mississippi seven years in a row by U.S. News & World Report and among Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 “Great Hospitals in America,” Mississippi Baptist Medical Center is one of the most decorated hospitals in Mississippi. MBMC has 638 licensed beds and is home to Baptist Cancer Center, a six-level tower housing the Cardiovascular Center and Baptist for Women, which is Baby-Friendly USA accredited. The hospital has received numerous awards and recognitions for its excellent care, including multiple recognitions from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology in 2025 and 15 High Performing Hospital designations from U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026. MBMC signed a shared mission agreement with Baptist Memorial Health Care in May 2017, making Baptist Memorial one of Mississippi’s largest employers and the largest health care system in the state. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/mbmc or follow us on www.facebook.com/mississippibaptistmedicalcenter.

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The expansion doubles the capacity of Baptist Collierville’s ICU from seven to 14 beds, increasing the unit’s footprint to 17,000 square feet. Partially funded through a $5 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Health’s Healthcare Resiliency Program, the expansion totaled almost $11 million.

“This is an exciting day for the Collierville community and Baptist Collierville,” said Lindsay Stencel, administrator and CEO of Baptist Collierville. “Thanks to funding from the State of Tennessee’s Healthcare Resiliency Program, we have doubled the capacity of the ICU and completed the most extensive addition to the hospital since it opened in 1999. This valuable addition will allow us treat more patients with severe illness closer to home.”

Flintco built the new ICU, formerly on the first floor, in shell and storage space on the second floor of the hospital. The expanded unit features TeleGuardian electronic ICU remote monitoring technology in each room to enhance care and a new dialysis suite that will allow four patients to receive treatment at once. A respiratory office and equipment are placed in the center of the new ICU for better efficiency and quality of care.

Now that ICU renovations are complete, construction will begin on an emergency department expansion that will include the former ICU space on the first floor, which will increase the ER size by 4,732 square feet. ESa architectural firm designed both expansions, and Belz Architecture+Construction will handle construction for the ER expansion, which is set to start immediately.

The Tennessee Department of Health's Healthcare Resiliency Program aims to enhance health care delivery and improve access to services across the state. The program offers competitive grants in two categories: capital investments and practice transformation and extension. The grants are designed to expand capacity, invest in technology and improve health care services for both adults and children. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan and aims to support projects that increase bed capacity at acute care hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville opened its doors in May 1999. With all the amenities of home, this full-service hospital sits on a 75-acre park-like campus and features extra-large patient rooms and a walking trail. Medical services include a full-service emergency room, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient surgery, a step-down unit and a 14-bed intensive care unit, inpatient and outpatient diagnostics, the Baptist Sleep Disorders Center, outpatient women's services and 88 acute care beds. Baptist Collierville has consistently earned Joint Commission accreditation for advanced hip and knee replacement. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/collierville, call 901-861-9000 or follow us on Facebook at @baptistcollierville.

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MacTel is a rare neurodegenerative disease of the retina in adults that causes progressive and irreversible vision loss. The slowly progressive disease affects the blood vessels around the macula in the eyes, resulting in loss of central vision in both eyes. The disease affects less than 1% of the population.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to perform this new procedure because previously there were no other treatment options available for this disease,” said Dr. Salar Rafieetary, a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Charles Retina Institute. “ENCELTO offers hope to patients in slowing the progression of MacTel.”

ENCELTO, a rice-sized capsule and cell-based gene therapy implant, releases therapeutic doses of ciliary neurotrophic factor to the retina to assist in slowing the progression of the disease. ENCELTO is the first and only FDA-approved treatment available for MacTel.

Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women is the only freestanding women’s hospital in Memphis and the only hospital in the region to qualify to be a member of the prestigious Council of Women's and Infants' Specialty Hospitals. Recognized nationally for its lifesaving maternal and infant programs, Baptist Women's Hospital is a regional referral center for high-risk pregnancies, mammography, minimally invasive surgeries, outpatient diagnostics and urogynecology. For more information, visit https://www.baptistonline.org/locations/womens, or follow us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/baptistwomenshospital.

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                     WHEN:           Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

                                              10 a.m.

WHERE:        Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville ICU

                      1500 W. Poplar Ave.

                      Collierville, TN 38107

BACKGROUND: Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville opened its doors in May 1999. With all the amenities of home, this full-service hospital sits on a 75-acre park-like campus and features extra-large patient rooms and a walking trail. Medical services include a full-service emergency department, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient surgery, a step-down unit and a 14-bed intensive care unit, inpatient and outpatient diagnostics, the Baptist Sleep Disorders Center, outpatient women's services and 88 acute care beds. Baptist Collierville has consistently earned Joint Commission accreditation and awards for advanced hip and knee replacement.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

·         Lindsay Stencel, CEO and Administrator, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville

·         Keith Norman, VP/Chief Government Affairs and Community Relations Officer, Baptist Memorial Health Care

·         State of Tennessee Officials

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Baptist Calhoun Nursing Home is among the top 5% of health care providers in delivering employee experience in the last year.

The HX Guardian of Excellence Award is part of Press Ganey’s annual ranking of top hospitals and health systems in the country, according to performance in one of three categories: patient experience, consumer experience and employee experience.

"This recognition reflects Baptist Calhoun Nursing Home’s relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Patrick T. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Press Ganey. “Their forward-thinking approach and focus on continuous improvement inspire us all. We’re proud to partner with them as we work toward a more connected, equitable and human healthcare experience.”

Press Ganey works with more than 41,000 health care facilities in its mission to reduce patient suffering and enhance caregiver resilience to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care.

Founded in 1970, Baptist Calhoun became affiliated with Baptist Memorial Health Care in 2016. The 27,000-square-foot facility has 25 licensed hospital beds and 120 licensed nursing home beds. Baptist Calhoun has a 24/7 emergency department, along with telemedicine, diagnostics services and hospice care. For more information, call 662-628-6611 or visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/calhoun/services.

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