Baptist Health Hospitals Recognized for Exceptional Stroke and Cardiac Care

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –  Baptist Health is pleased to announce 11 of its hospitals were recently nationally recognized by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With The Guidelines® program for delivering high-quality, evidence-based stroke and cardiac care that improves patient outcomes and saves lives.

These awards acknowledge Baptist Health’s ongoing commitment to following the latest clinical guidelines to reduce disability and death:

• Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia: Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke Bronze; Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease Rural ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Bronze, Bronze Referring, Rural Acute Coronary Syndrome Gold
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway: Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Drew County: Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Coronary Artery Disease Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Bronze 
• Baptist Health Medical Center-El Dorado: Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Bronze;  Get With The Guidelines® Rural Stroke Silver
• Baptist Health-Fort Smith: Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus, Target HF Optimal Honor Roll, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll; Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll, Target Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll. 
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs: Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke Bronze, Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease Rural ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Bronze Referring, Rural Acute Coronary Syndrome Silver
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Spring County: Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke Silver; Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease Rural Acute Coronary Syndrome Gold 
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock: Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus, Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll, Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock: Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll 
• Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart: Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke Bronze 
• Baptist Health-Van Buren: Get With The Guidelines®-Coronary Artery Disease ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Referring Silver 

By consistently meeting these high standards, Baptist Health is helping to reduce the long-term impact of stroke across Arkansas—and giving patients a better chance at recovery and a better quality of life. 

Arkansas faces severe cardiovascular health challenges, with heart disease ranking as its leading cause of death and stroke standing as a top cause of both mortality and long-term disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the state ranks fourth in the nation for stroke mortality, losing nearly 1,900 lives annually, while heart disease claims over 8,500 lives each year—meaning an Arkansan dies from a cardiac event roughly every hour. Beyond these fatalities, over 11,000 residents are hospitalized for strokes annually (about 32 people every day), and 12.5% of adults live with cardiovascular illnesses driven by high rates of obesity, smoking, and diabetes, according to the AHA.

Because rapid, high-quality treatment is critical to saving lives and preventing disability, Arkansas hospitals utilize programs like Get With The Guidelines® to implement research-based protocols that accelerate care when every second counts.

About Baptist Health

For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 300 points of access that include 14 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 75 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 12,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. Baptist Health is certified as a Great Place to Work and is honored by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.org, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.