Tracey McKnight’s mission to protect hearts in West Tennessee
FROM WEST TENNESSEE HEALTHCARE:
#BeTheGood: Tracey McKnight’s Mission to Protect Hearts in West Tennessee
When you meet Tracey McKnight, it doesn’t take long to see her heart for others. For more than three decades, she has been part of the West Tennessee Healthcare family, serving in roles that range from the Emergency Room to her current position as Clinical Director with Friends of Heart, a nonprofit based in Jackson. Along the way, she has touched countless lives, guided by her calling to care for people in their most vulnerable moments.
That calling is deeply personal. Tracey has walked through the realities of heart disease within her own family. Her mother, father, and husband have all battled serious heart conditions. She has also experienced the grief of losing two relatives to sudden cardiac arrest, including an uncle who collapsed at just 67 years old. “Those experiences are what push me,” Tracey explains. “I don’t want another family to go through what mine did.”
Tracey began her nursing career almost 30 years ago in the Emergency Room at Jackson General. Early on, she and her team worked toward becoming an accredited chest pain center in Jackson, hoping to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. Back then, those rates were around five to ten percent. With decades of new technology, widespread use of AEDs, and cell phones in nearly every pocket, one might expect survival to have drastically improved. Instead, Tracey notes, it still hovers around six percent. That sobering reality has fueled her drive to keep pushing for better awareness, better tools, and stronger systems of care.
Her passion shows most clearly in her recent work through Friends of Heart with local schools. In the 2024–2025 school year, she helped bring EKG screenings to more than 250 young athletes in Haywood County, Bradford Special School District, Madison Academic, and Northeast Middle School. The screenings revealed 15 students with irregular heart rhythms. Thanks to partnerships with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, those students were quickly referred to pediatric cardiologists for further care. “By implementing routine EKG screening programs for youth athletes, we can identify at-risk individuals early and take proactive measures to safeguard their health,” Tracey says.
For Tracey, these screenings are not just about numbers and diagnoses—they are about faces, families, and futures. Each child who is cleared to keep playing sports safely, and each family who gains peace of mind, is a reminder of why she does what she does. “I hope that our testing educated families that heart disease can affect anyone at any age. I also hope that the students tested can now have peace of mind that they are playing healthy,” she explains.
Beyond the schools, Tracey has also been a leader in the “4-Minute Community” initiative in Jackson and Friends of Heart’s AED Grant program serving West Tennessee. The goal is simple but powerful: to make sure help is never more than four minutes away when cardiac arrest strikes. Working through Friends of Heart, Tracey has helped place hundreds of AEDs across Madison County and surrounding areas. These devices are simple to use and can be lifesaving in an emergency.
Tracey also values the chance to mentor the next generation of healthcare workers. By bringing in nursing and medical technology students to help with screenings, she has turned those events into real-world learning experiences. Students not only practice clinical skills but also see the human side of healthcare. “Be the Good in this moment is about caring for our communities and kids by offering EKG testing that can uncover hidden heart issues,” Tracey says. “It’s a simple way to protect young lives and give families comfort and peace of mind.”
Outside of her professional work, Tracey finds joy in simple things. She and her husband Don enjoy cooking, traveling, and spending time with their blended family. They are especially excited about becoming grandparents for the first time this year, with one grandchild expected in Arkansas in November and another due in Middle Tennessee next spring.
When asked what “being the good” means to her, Tracey keeps her answer simple. For her, it is about showing up for her community and doing what she can to protect the lives of her neighbors. Whether she is helping a high schooler get the heart test that changes their future or placing an AED where it can save a life, Tracey is living that definition every single day.
West Tennessee is stronger and healthier because of Tracey McKnight’s compassion and commitment. She is proof that one person’s dedication can ripple outward to protect entire communities. That is why she is this month’s #BeTheGood spotlight.
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