Published on July 01, 2026

Forrest Health Hospitals Nationally Recognized for Commitment to High-Quality Heart Attack, Stroke Care in South Mississippi

 

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (July 1, 2026) All seven hospitals in the Forrest Health system have been recognized with national Get With the Guidelines® awards from the American Heart Association dealing with either the treatment of heart attack, stroke, and/or Type 2 diabetes care.

Recognized were:

     Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg

  • Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI, Gold (Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll)
  • Stroke, Gold Plus (Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll)

     Highland Community Hospital, Picayune

  • Stroke, Gold Plus (Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll)

     Jefferson Davis Community Hospital, Prentiss

     Pearl River County Hospital, Poplarville

     Marion General Hospital, Columbia

     Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown

  • Rural Stroke, Gold

     Perry County General Hospital, Richton

  • Rural Stroke, Bronze

The NSTEMI award is in recognition of Forrest General’s commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Each year, more than 1.2 million cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) require hospitalization in the U.S., and about 70% of ACS cases are classified as NSTEMI, caused by a partial blockage in a coronary artery.

The stroke awards recognize each hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally-recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

"Receiving multiple American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® Performance Achievement Awards is a tremendous honor for Forrest Health and reflects our unwavering, system-wide commitment to clinical excellence,” said Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer, Kim Reddish. “This recognition highlights the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and care teams to delivering evidence-based care for patients with stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. Through their expertise, collaboration, and compassion, our teams continue to improve patient outcomes and expand access to high-quality care across all of the communities we serve."

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

The AHA Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll award, which Forrest General and Highland received, 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 stroke.

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 — a gap that has grown during the past two decades. For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, five Forrest Health hospitals were recognized.

“We are honored that our teams at these Forrest Health facilities are being recognized for the important work they do every day to improve the lives of people in their hometowns and surrounding areas who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Suzanne Wilson, executive director. “Rural communities deserve high quality stroke care. I'm proud of our teams for their commitment to stroke care excellence and these achievements.”

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute stroke care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care for 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.

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 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org .