Baptist Health announced that six of its hospitals have been recognized by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) for their commitment to high-quality stroke care. The awards are based on performance metrics from the Arkansas Stroke Registry between July 2024 and June 2025.
The ADH awards are categorized into Diamond (95%+ adherence), Ruby (90–94.99%), and Pearl (85–89.99%) classes. The following Baptist Health hospitals were recognized:
-Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock: Ruby for Stroke Band Documentation
-Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock: Pearl for Coverdell Defect-Free Stroke Care Award and Ruby for Stroke Band Documentation
-Baptist Health-Fort Smith: Pearl for Stroke Band Documentation
-Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart: Ruby for Door to CT Times
-Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Spring County: Pearl for Coverdell Defect-Free Stroke Care Award, Door to CT Times and Stroke Band Documentation
-Baptist Health Medical Center-Drew County: Ruby for Door to CT Times
Key metrics evaluated include Door-to-CT times, which measure how quickly a patient receives a brain scan to determine treatment, and Defect-Free Care, which ensures patients receive every evidence-based treatment for which they are eligible.
Arkansas currently ranks among the top states in the "Stroke Belt," holding the fourth highest stroke death rate in the United States. With roughly 32 Arkansans hospitalized for stroke every day, according to ADH, the speed and quality of care provided by local hospitals are matters of life and death.