Expert stroke care close to home

Baptist Health Paducah offers specialized rehabilitation care to stroke patients.

(PADUCAH, KY) May 2023 - Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke and every minute that stroke treatment is delayed, two million brain cells die. May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and as an advanced primary stroke center, Baptist Health Paducah has the resources and processes to provide high quality care for acute stroke patients.

Baptist Health Paducah offers specialized rehabilitation care to stroke patients including the region’s only physical therapist who is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist, and the only occupational therapist that is a certified stroke rehab specialist. All stroke patients receive care from a physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech language pathologist within 24-48 hours of their arrival.

The rehab specialists meet with each stroke patient to conduct an assessment on strength, coordination, sensation, vision, balance and how all of that impacts their ability to do everyday tasks. From there, a treatment plan is created for each patient to treat the deficits they are presenting with.

Patients who arrive at the emergency room within three hours of their first symptoms often have less disability three months after a stroke than those who received delayed care. Knowing how to identify the symptoms of a stroke is vital for emergency treatment. The acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. is a good way to learn stroke symptoms.

• B – Balance: Does the person have a sudden loss of balance?
• E – Eyes: Has the person lost vision in one or both eyes?
• F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
• A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
• T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

If you or a loved one suffers a stroke, you can receive high quality care close to home. Baptist Health Paducah celebrated 10 years as a leader in stroke care in 2020. The hospital became the region’s first certified primary stroke center in 2010, and provides 24/7 neurohospitalist and neurosurgery coverage.