ARH recognized nationally for excellence in cardiovascular care

NEWS RELEASE - August 13, 2026

ARH recognized nationally for excellence in cardiovascular care

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Appalachian Regional Healthcare is proud to announce each of its 14 hospitals has been honored with American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines™ awards.

The annual recognition represents hospitals' commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, resulting in shorter recovery times, fewer readmissions and more lives saved.

ARH Neurology Service Line Coordinator Rachel Jenkins said the awards serve as a signal that residents in the communities served by ARH can feel confident in knowing they can science-backed, guideline-directed care without leaving their own communities.

"The recognition of all 14 ARH hospitals through the Get With The Guidelines Stroke program is a significant achievement," she said. "It is especially meaningful because it shows that people living in rural Kentucky and West Virginia can receive nationally recognized, evidence-based stroke care close to home."

Hospital awards are as follows:

Get With the Guidelines - Rural Stroke Gold

• Barboursville ARH Hospital
• Harlan ARH Hospital
• Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center
• Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center
• ARH Our Lady of the Way Hospital
• Whitesburg ARH Hospital

Get With the Guidelines - Rural Stroke Silver

• Morgan County ARH Hospital
• Summers County ARH Hospital

Get With the Guidelines - Rural Stroke Bronze

• Mary Breckinridge ARH Hospital
• McDowell ARH Hospital
• Middlesboro ARH Hospital
• Paintsville ARH Hospital
• Tug Valley ARH Regional Medical Center

Get With the Guidelines - Stroke Bronze

• Beckley ARH Hospital
• Middlesboro ARH Hospital
• Whitesburg ARH Hospital

Get With the Guidelines - Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, and Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll

• Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center

***

Jenkins said the achievements were made possible by the hard work and collaboration at every facility.

"We're grateful for our physicians, nurses, EMS partners, therapists, and every team member who has helped make this possible," she said. "It's also important to recognize our hospital stroke coordinators and local champions who play a vital role in leading these teams and driving this important work forward."

ARH Vice President of Service Lines Susan Carmical agreed.

"We're incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of each and every member of our ARH team," she said. "Their unwavering commitment and pursuit of excellence serve to strengthen the outcomes for the patients and communities we are privileged to serve."

***

Heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association, are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death in the United States. American Heart Association studies show patients experience better outcomes when care teams consistently follow evidence-based guidelines.

Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association's Quality Oversight Committee, said the Get With The Guidelines recognitions reflect ARH's commitment to cardiovascular care.

"By following the American Heart Association's quality improvement protocols, ARH hospitals can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a win for patients, families and health care systems," she said.

# # #

About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system - a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH's hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.