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Harlingen, March 4, 2010 -- Life-saving care provided by Valley Baptist employees and physicians has resulted in Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen being designated as one of the first “Primary Level II” stroke facilities in South Texas by the State of Texas.
The designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services is for a two-year period. Stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability, and Valley Baptist-Harlingen provides specialized life-saving stroke services -- including medications that can reverse strokes in certain cases if the patient arrives soon after symptoms begin.
“This state designation is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our physicians, nurses and other professionals at Valley Baptist,” said James Eastham, CEO for Valley Baptist. “This achievement reflects the physicians’ and employees’ commitment to providing Valley Baptist patients with a level of care that not only saves lives, but also improves the quality of patients’ lives once they leave the hospital.”
Previously, Valley Baptist-Harlingen was the first hospital in the Valley to be certified as a “Primary Stroke Center” on the national level, by the accrediting organization for health care facilities, the Joint Commission. The certification is based on Valley Baptist’s stroke care program following national standards and guidelines which can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.
In addition to Valley Baptist-Harlingen, Valley Baptist Medical Center in Brownsville has also been designated as a Primary Stroke Center by both the state and the Joint Commission.
Also recently, Valley Baptist-Harlingen scored a perfect score, with no deficiencies, on a follow-up re-certification survey by the Joint Commission. This was the third time since 2005 that Valley Baptist-Harlingen had undergone a successful stroke certification survey by the Joint Commission and been re-designated as a primary stroke center.
“This outstanding result is yet another tribute to the hard work and conscientiousness of our physicians, nursing team, and staff,” said Ann McDonald-Upton, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. “The staff in the Emergency Dept., Neuro ICU and Stroke units did a great job – we are very proud of them.”
Dr. Victoria A. Parada, Board-Certified Vascular Neurologist and Medical Director of the Stroke Program at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, emphasized the importance of Valley residents knowing the warning signs of stroke and calling 911 immediately if they experience symptoms.
“Seventy percent of the stroke victims don’t reach the hospital within the first three hours after stroke symptoms begin because they lack awareness of the importance of prompt recognition and treatment of symptoms of stroke,” Dr. Parada said. “Every minute spent without treatment means more brain cells die.”
“Efforts to speed up patients' arrival at the hospital are absolutely crucial,” Dr. Parada added. “We have very effective treatments, and a committed stroke team willing to make every effort to help our patients to restore functioning and prevent disability.”
The Valley Baptist team’s efforts start with community education about the signs and symptoms of stroke. “Our continuum of care for stroke patients includes patient access through Emergency Medical Services and Valley Air Care (air ambulance), Emergency Department treatment, response by our Integrated Stroke Code Team, treatment through our Stroke Unit and Neuro Intensive Care Unit, and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to help in the patient’s recovery,” Dr. Parada said.
Julio Olmeda, RN, BSN, Education Specialist with Valley Baptist Neuroscience Services, noted that Valley Baptist has also received the “Gold” award from the American Heart Association for meeting the latest scientific guidelines for stroke care.
The “Get With the Guidelines” award addresses the important element of time, since with a stroke, “time lost is brain lost.” Valley Baptist has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications (such as tPA) when appropriate.
Each year in the United States, 700,000 people suffer a stroke. In addition, heart disease and stroke rank as the number one killer of Hispanics in the United States. Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, heart disease, smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Dr. Parada said Hispanics are at high risk for stroke because of high rates of both diabetes and high blood pressure. Controlling these risk factors can decrease the likelihood of stroke.
For more information, consult your physician and visit www.ValleyBaptist.net.
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