Baptist Memorial Hospital-Paragould has been designated an Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital by the Arkansas Department of Health, acknowledging its compliance with state standards for delivering timely stroke care.
To earn this designation, hospitals must demonstrate proficiency in emergency evaluation, stroke assessment and treatment, the use of telemedicine when appropriate, and coordination with emergency medical services.
The achievement follows months of preparation by the hospital’s emergency department, physicians, nurses, and clinical team members to meet these requirements, according to the facility.
The hospital’s stroke program had already been recognized earlier this year. In August, it received five American Heart Association awards, including the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Bronze and Rural Stroke Silver awards.
Lacey Wheeler, director of the emergency department and stroke coordinator at Baptist Paragould, expressed gratitude for the recognition and its meaning for the surrounding community.
“While I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment, what means the most to me is what this designation represents for our community,” Wheeler said in a statement. “Baptist Paragould serves patients throughout Greene County, Clay County, and neighboring communities in Arkansas and Missouri. As a Stroke Ready Hospital, we are better positioned to provide timely evaluation and treatment for patients experiencing a stroke, while connecting them with the appropriate level of care when needed.”
Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked by a clot or by the rupture of a blood vessel. Without proper blood and oxygen supply, brain cells may begin to die, increasing the risk of long-term disability or death. Swift recognition of symptoms and immediate treatment can significantly improve outcomes.
The Arkansas Department of Health promotes the acronym BE FAST to help the public identify stroke symptoms: balance difficulties, changes in eye or vision quality, facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and the necessity of acting quickly by calling 911.
Anyone experiencing these signs is urged to seek medical help immediately by calling emergency services.