Baptist Health Paducah receives Womens Choice Award as one of Americas Best Stroke Centers
A few weeks ago Tonya Hunt was hoping to get discharged from Baptist Health Paducah after recovering from a heart attack, when a stroke stopped her in her tracks.
Paducah, KY – May 3, 2016 –A few weeks ago Tonya Hunt was hoping to get discharged from Baptist Health Paducah after recovering from a heart attack, when a stroke stopped her in her tracks.
“I got up to brush my teeth and from then on I don’t remember,” said Hunt, 46, of Clinton.
Hunt was treated with the clot-buster tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. People who suffer a stroke may recover quicker and are less likely to suffer severe disability if they receive the drug within three hours of experiencing symptoms.
By that evening, “I was talking and moving my limbs,” she said. “I can walk and my speech is fine. My family really thought I was going to pass away, but the Lord wasn’t ready for me.”
Hunt is just one example of why Baptist Health Paducah was selected to receive the 2016 Women’s Choice Award® as one of America’s Best Stroke Centers. This evidence-based designation is the only Stroke Center award that identifies the country’s best healthcare institutions based on robust criteria that considers female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence and what women say they want from a hospital.
“We are honored that women recognize the efforts of our staff to create a healing environment,” said hospital president William A. Brown. “We take pride in providing patients and their loved ones with true compassion and quality care.”
Baptist Health Paducah became the region’s first certified primary stroke center in 2009. Since then, tPA has gone from being administered to six patients a year to now more than 100.
“These awards say we strive for the best possible care for our patients,” said neurologist Joseph Ashburn, MD, stroke services director. “While meeting the minimum requirements for a stroke center is considered acceptable, we at Baptist Health believe the people of our region deserve nothing less than the very best medicine has to offer. We are always moving forward to take it to the next level.”
The list of over 487 award winners, including Baptist Health Paducah, represents hospitals that have met the high standards of The Joint Commission, the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA).
“The women in western Kentucky are extremely fortunate to have access to one of the best Stroke Centers in America,” said Delia Passi, Founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award. “Through our joint efforts, we will empower women to make the best healthcare choices for her and her family.”
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ABOUT THE WOMEN’S CHOICE AWARD®
The Women’s Choice Award® is a trusted referral source, empowering women to make smart healthcare choices by identifying the country’s best healthcare institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. The Women’s Choice Award was recently honored as #1088 on the INC 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2015, as well as selected from more than 500 nominees for Florida Companies to Watch in 2015, a statewide program managed by GrowFL which celebrates the Florida’s top second stage companies. Visit www.womenschoiceaward.com to learn more.
Baptist Health Paducah is a regional medical and referral center, serving about 200,000 patients a year from four states. With more than 1,700 employees and 260 physicians, it offers a full range of services, including cardiac and cancer care, diagnostic imaging, women’s and children’s services, surgery, emergency treatment, rehabilitation and more. It has the region’s first heart center and accredited chest pain center, as well as the only certified stroke center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It opened in 1953 as Western Baptist Hospital and changed its name in early 2013, along with other facilities in Baptist Health, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare systems in Kentucky. For information, see www.baptisthealth.com/paducah/.