JACKSONVILLE, Texas — UT Health Jacksonville has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Rural Recognition Gold award for its efforts to improve stroke care and address disparities in health outcomes for rural residents.
The recognition, announced September 1, 2026, highlights the hospital's commitment to acute stroke care excellence. The American Heart Association acknowledges the crucial role rural hospitals play in providing timely, evidence-based care to people living in rural areas.
Awards for rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines – Stroke are based on a specific methodology that evaluates early acute stroke performance metrics. These measures include the delivery of intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfers, dysphagia screening, detailed symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, effective emergency medical services communication, comprehensive brain imaging, and expert stroke consultation.
According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a primary cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures, cutting off blood and oxygen to brain tissue, leading to the death of brain cells. Early detection and rapid treatment are essential for improving survival rates, minimizing disability, and supporting a quicker recovery for patients.
DeLeigh Haley, CEO of UT Health Jacksonville, stated that the team is proud to be recognized for its daily work to improve the lives of people in Cherokee County affected by stroke, providing them with the best possible chance of recovery and survival. Haley noted that rural community hospitals like UT Health Jacksonville often face challenges such as extended interfacility transportation times and limited staffing resources. She emphasized that the hospital has prioritized ensuring these challenges do not compromise the standard of care received by stroke patients, affirming that rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care.
Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, who chairs the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and co-authored the Association’s advisory on rural health, acknowledged that patients and healthcare professionals in Cherokee County encounter unique healthcare challenges and opportunities. Maddox commended UT Health Jacksonville for advancing the important work of improving care for all Americans, regardless of where they reside.
An American Heart Association presidential advisory on rural health indicates that individuals in rural communities live, on average, three years fewer than their urban counterparts. They also face a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality. UT Health Jacksonville states it is committed to changing these statistics for its community.
The recognition underscores UT Health Jacksonville’s ongoing dedication to maintaining and enhancing high-quality stroke care for residents in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas of Cherokee County.
