Whitfield Regional Hospital receives Gold Award for stroke care from American Heart Association

Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Rural Recognition Gold Award for its stroke care.

The award recognizes hospitals for acute treatment of strokes, including intravenous thrombolytic therapy that breaks up blood clots, timely transfers when required, and screening for dysphagia (the ability to swallow) and other symptoms.

“We are proud that our team at Whitfield Regional Hospital is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Marengo County and west Alabama who are affected by stroke, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” CEO Doug Brewer said. “Rural communities deserve high quality stroke care. I'm proud of our team for their commitment to stroke care excellence and this achievement.”

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 over the past two decades.

“As a hospital in a rural community, we deal with characteristics, such as extended interfacility transportation times, and limited staffing resources,” Brewer said. “We've made it a goal to make sure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our stoke patients receive.”

The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, recognizes the importance of health care services provided to people living in rural areas by rural hospitals.

Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, co-author on the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health, said, “Whitfield Regional Hospital has furthered this important work to improve care for all Americans, regardless of where they live.”

Whitfield Regional Hospital, a member of UAB Health system, is a Level 3 Trauma Center and Regional Stroke Center. WRH offers medical surgical services, inpatient behavioral health services, a comprehensive cancer center, wound care. home health services, a full-service lab, diagnostic imaging services, physical and occupational therapy and speech services. The hospital operates Whit Family Clinics in Linden and Demopolis, and WRH serves as a primary training site for multiple clinical programs and will be the primary training site for the New Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences scheduled to open in 2026.