UT Health Carthage recognized for advancing rural stroke care

Carthage, Texas (July 16, 2026) —  People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality, according to an American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. UT Health Carthage is committed to changing that.

 

For its efforts to optimize stroke care and reduce gaps in rural health outcomes, UT Health Carthage has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Rural Recognition Gold award.

 

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S, 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. When this happens, brain cells begin to die. Early detection and rapid treatment are critical to improving survival, minimizing disability and supporting faster recovery.

 

The American Heart Association recognizes the importance of healthcare services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals that play a vital role in initiation of timely evidence-based care. For that reason, all rural hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines – Stroke are eligible to receive award recognition based on a unique methodology focused on early acute stroke performance metrics.

 

“We are proud that our team at UT Health Carthage is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Panola County who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said UT Health Carthage CEO Jared Smith. “As a hospital in a rural community, we face challenges such as extended interfacility transportation times and limited staffing resources. We have made it a priority to ensure those challenges never compromise the standard of care our stoke patients receive. Rural communities deserve high-quality stroke care. I’m proud of our team’s commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”

 

This recognition goes to hospitals for their commitment to acute stroke care excellence, demonstrated through performance on guideline-directed measures including intravenous thrombolytic therapy, timely hospital inter-facility transfer, dysphagia screening, symptom timeline and deficit assessment documentation, emergency medical services communication, brain imaging and stroke expert consultation.

 

“Patients and healthcare professionals in Panola County face unique healthcare challenges and opportunities,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and co-author on the Association’s advisory on rural health. “UT Health Carthage has advanced the important work of improving care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”

 

 

About UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes nine hospitals, more than 90 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services, an EMS fleet of more than 65 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive eight-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.

 

As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.

 

About Get With The Guidelines

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.

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