Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle

11/27/2025

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
At Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, we’re thankful for you, the community we serve, and the opportunity to provide comprehensive health care services to help you and your family enjoy long, healthy and happy lives. To learn more about our health services, please visit baptistonline.org/goldentriangle or call 662-244-1000. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Baptist Golden Triangle.

11/24/2025

NOVEMBER IS DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH!
Every year, November is marked as the time to ring the alarm on the diabetes epidemic. For the millions of those who are at risk for it, it’s a time to get educated, find resources and make sure all are aware of their risk, too. And for the millions who are living with diabetes, it’s a chance to help make others aware!

11/21/2025

Congratulations to Patrick and Jessica Stewart who were recently married in our main hospital chapel. Chaplain Lonnie Cook performed the ceremony.

Jessica, who works in Environmental Services, said it was important to her for the couple to get married in the chapel so her co-workers could attend and be a part of their happy day.

In a sweet family twist, Patrick is the son of Cheryl Stewart Brown, RN, who was married to Keith Brown, RN in the same chapel on 02/02/2022 at 2:22 pm. Cheryl works in Case Management and Keith works in Outpatient Surgery. Director of Pastoral Care Jonathan Blackburn officiated their ceremony.

Best wishes to Patrick and Jessica for many long happy years together!

11/21/2025

We end the week with a wonderful overhead devotion from Chaplain Jonathan Blackburn. He reminds us that we cannot depend on earthly, modern conveniences to guide us through the difficult times in our life. We have to look to our heavenly Father, not Siri.

"I saw a quote the other day that said, “When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I have to remind myself that I cannot trust Google Maps.”
The ‘valley of the shadow death’ was used by David in Psalm 23. We don’t know exactly what he was referring to. Maybe it was when a father figure in his life, named Saul, tried to kill him multiple times. Maybe he was referring to the time when one of his sons turned on him and tried to kill him. Maybe he was referring to the time when he had a stillborn child.
Maybe it was all of the above. But what David knew was that His God was with Him and would carry him through.
When we walk through our valleys calling on Siri and Alexa are not going to show us the way out or give us helpful tips. The Maker and Caregiver of our souls is the One we need to turn to.
Let us pray: LORD, You are still the Good Shepherd. Even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we have nothing to fear because You are with us. And that’s enough. We thank You for that. Amen."

11/20/2025

Congratulations to the following employees for being nominated as Service First Champion for the fourth quarter of 2025. Service First Champion is someone who has gone above his or her normal work duties to help a patient, a visitor or a fellow employee. The champion is selected in blind voting by a committee of employees from across hospital departments.

Nominees were:
Joy Trease, Quality
Heather Chandler-Simmons, Behavioral Health
Mary Paige Thrash, Pharmacy
James Avery, Security
Christina Boone, Case Management
Tammie Sherrod, OP Pharmacy

11/19/2025

What an inspiring overhead devotion this morning by Chaplain Jonathan Blackburn. We learned that God gave the honeybee everything it needs to construct the perfectly shaped honeycomb to store its honey. We can see throughout nature that God shows us mighty wonders in His creation. Like the honeybee, we should take the wonders stored up in us to lead us to be all He created us to BEE!

Honeybees might just be nature’s finest engineers. When building their hives, bees construct hexagonal shapes in their honeycomb. The hexagon is mathematically perfect for storage. This shape uses the least amount of material to hold the most amount of honey while also being extremely strong for its weight. Incredible.
Bees didn’t take a class on how to build a honeycomb. They are just bee-ing themselves, like God created them to be.
God created us with unique abilities as well but many times we don’t live into our full potential whether through fear, overthinking, or even having bad mentors.
But God is bigger than all that and He calls us to rest in Him. And when we rest in Him, we naturally do what we have been created to do.
Let us pray: Father, nature teaches us so many lessons. Bees are Your handiwork and they let us know that You can pack in a lot of wonder in a tenth of a gram. You also have wonder stored up in us ready to be revealed. Help us to be all we were created to be. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

11/18/2025

Congratulations to our physicians, leadership team, staff and volunteers for helping us reach an 'A' grade for patient safety and quality care from the The Leapfrog Group in the most recent grading period! The grade recognizes the hospital for keeping patients safe from harm.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures based on errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. Golden Triangle was one of five hospitals in the Baptist Memorial Health Care System who received an 'A' grade.
"Our community deserves exceptional, safe care, and this Leapfrog recognition shows we are delivering on that promise. We remain committed to continuously improving and raising the bar for patient safety," said Baptist Golden Triangle Administrator/CEO Rob Coleman.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Baptist Memorial hospitals made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 18, 2025– The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety, awarded five Baptist Memorial hospitals “A” Hospital Safety Grades for their commitment to patient safety and quality care.Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, Baptist ...

11/13/2025

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY
Today is World Pneumonia Day. Pneumonia is a preventable and treatable illness, yet it remains one of the world's leading causes of death in children and vulnerable adults. Remember - handwashing, vaccination and early medical care saves lives! Baptist Golden Triangle encourages you to talk to your primary care physician about whether the pneumonia vaccine is right for you!

11/12/2025

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 4th QUARTER 2025 SERVICE FIRST CHAMPION, Neal Smith, Radiation Therapist, Radiation Oncology

Congratulations to Neal Smith, Radiation Therapist, Radiation Oncology, who was selected Service First Champion for the 4th Quarter. Several team members nominated Neal for this honor.
According to the nomination, each team member said that Neal is 'absolutely wonderful and caring to all of the patients, and he is constantly going above and beyond for everyone he comes in contact with."
"We recently had a patient who came in for a radiation treatment whose TV had all of a sudden gone out. Neal found this out during their normal conversations during treatment. The very next day, Neal had a TV he was not using and brought it to the patient. The patient was so touched by the kindness he gave to him."
"Neal gives 110% to his patients. He gives all he can just to make our patients smile and forget about the 15 minutes they are in treatment. He strives to make them know they are a person who is cared for," the nomination continued.
Originally from Clarkson, MS, Neal received an associate's degree in Radiological Sciences from Itawamba Community College and a bachelor's degree in Radiation Therapy from Baptist College of Health Sciences.
He has been a Baptist team member since 2006. "The reason I have been her for 19 years is because Starkville is home, and Baptist has always provided a healthy and safe environment for patients and employees. I believe that employees that are happy and secure in their jobs give quality care and create positive experiences for patients," Neal said. "The best part of my job is when I see former patients, either at work or outside of work, and they tell me that they are cancer free," he added.
He and his wife Catherine and three sons, Cam, Houston and Rhett, live in Starkville. His hobbies include 'painfully following and attending Mississippi State sports', camping, boating and spending time with family and friends.
We congratulate Neal for this honor and commend him for his dedicated care for our cancer patients!

11/11/2025

Kardarius Felton, PharmD, Baptist Memorial Hospital- Golden Triangle pharmacy resident, recently presented a scientific poster at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN. His poster was titled “Suspected Linezolid-Induced Lactic Acidosis”. The poster was coauthored by Ron Welch, PharmD, staff pharmacist and Dr. Navid Dara, Internal Medicine physician both at Baptist Golden Triangle. Congratulations Kardarius!

11/11/2025

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!
Baptist Golden Triangle would like to thank all of our Veterans and wish them a Happy Veterans Day!

In our overhead devotion this morning, Chaplain Jonathan Blackburn reminds us of why we celebrate Veterans Day - to honor and show appreciation to all who have worn the uniform of our great country. We thank each one for their service, no matter when or where, years ago or those who are currently defending our freedoms. Thank you for your service!

In World War I fighting ceased between the Allied forces and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars” and it is also why Veterans Day is observed on November 11th which is today.

It is a day in honoring the ones who have fought and given their strength, years, and well-being for the United States of America. Our veterans have laid down their own will for the common good of others.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Our veterans embody these words of Jesus.

Father, we are grateful for the ones who have made that sacrifice. Some of them are our fellow co-workers and some of them are our patients. We ask that they will feel honored and appreciated for their service. By the power of Your Spirit touch them today in their bodies and souls. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

11/10/2025

Our ancillary service line leaders have recently been on the recruitment trail, encouraging high school students to pursue a career in health care. In October our cardiology, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and respiratory teams attended the Monroe County College and Career Showcase in Amory and the Career Day & Job Fair in Vernon, AL.
Helping high school students make a more informed choice about their future is just one way Baptist Golden Triangle gives back to our community!