Baptist Health Hospitals Earn Stroke Gold Plus Award
All five Baptist Health adult hospitals received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Stroke
Baptist Health's five adult hospitals have received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus award, which recognizes high performance for 24 consecutive months or more. The health system also earned additional American Heart Association recognition for diabetes care and stroke treatment speed.
Why it matters
The recognition reflects adherence to proven, research-based guidelines aimed at saving lives and reducing disability for stroke patients in Jacksonville and the surrounding region. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, making consistent quality care a priority for hospitals serving Northeast Florida and South Georgia.
All five Baptist Health adult hospitals earned the Stroke Gold Plus award for 24 consecutive months or more of high performance. Nationally, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds and claims an average of 446 lives each day, though the source does not detail how these figures compare to prior years.
The players
Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a Jacksonville-based health system that operates hospitals and stroke care programs across Northeast Florida and South Georgia.
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a nonprofit organization focused on cardiovascular and stroke research, education, and quality improvement programs, including the Get With The Guidelines initiative.
The details
Baptist Health's comprehensive stroke network connects hospitals and providers across the continuum of stroke care, including the Telestroke Program, which links 20 hospitals and satellite emergency rooms with Baptist Health stroke experts around the clock. Baptist Jacksonville is a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, and all five adult hospitals also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award.
Timeline
More than 10 years ago: Baptist Health began building its comprehensive stroke network.
Recently: All five adult hospitals earned the Stroke Gold Plus award again.
Roadmap
The Get With The Guidelines program sets evidence-based benchmarks that hospitals nationwide use to measure stroke care quality, and Baptist Health's repeated awards place its five adult hospitals within that framework. The recognition illustrates how standardized performance tracking is becoming a common marker of stroke center credibility across the United States.
Residents of Northeast Florida and South Georgia can access stroke evaluation through Baptist Health's Telestroke Program around the clock, including at satellite emergency rooms. Recognized programs follow research-based guidelines that shape how quickly patients receive treatment after symptoms appear.
The takeaway
Stroke is a leading cause of death, so knowing that local hospitals follow proven guidelines can help families feel more confident about where to seek care. Understanding the signs of stroke and acting quickly remains one of the most effective steps any person can take.
Further reading
Explore more about stroke care in Jacksonville and how hospitals are measured against national guidelines.
More information
Learn more about stroke services at the Baptist stroke and cerebrovascular center.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Ponte Vedra Recorder.
