The Brain & Stroke Network at Baptist Health System operates in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and private neurologists, and will provide round-the-clock stroke care for patients across San Antonio and South Texas.  

The Brain and Stroke Network at Baptist Health System brings together all the necessary components to treat patients presenting with stroke - physicians from emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, vascular, and interventional radiology as well as nursing, rehabilitation and other support services. The Network offers services at each of the five Baptist hospitals, with St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital designated as the primary location for neurosurgery needs. Additionally, the HealthLink Rehabilitation Centers provide convenient outpatient rehabilitation. Transport from rural areas is accomplished via San Antonio AirLIFE air medical transport, which is owned jointly by Baptist Health System and University Health System.  

“The Brain & Stroke Network is the result of months of work with the community, physicians and clinicians across San Antonio,” said Trip Pilgrim, President and CEO of Baptist Health System. “Just as our Heart Alert program significantly reduced the time it takes to treat patients suffering from heart attack, we now also have in place a system, the expertise and resources needed to have a dramatic impact on the treatment of stroke in San Antonio.”

Thousands of San Antonians suffer from stroke each year, and the emergency departments of the five Baptist hospitals will be the entry point for many of these patients into the services of the Brain and Stroke Network. “Emergency physicians in the Baptist hospitals are ready,” said Tim Taylor, M.D., FACEP, president of Emergency Physicians Affiliates. “The beauty of the excellent geographic location of our Emergency Departments is that it means people receive treatment that much faster. Our emergency specialists now have the consulting support of committed neurologists and neurosurgeons, and we can all work together swiftly for better patient treatment.”

Pilgrim heralded the commitment by the UT Health Science Center Department of Neurosurgery as a cornerstone of the new program. An agreement between the Health Science Center Department of Neurosurgery and operational systems set in place by Baptist Health System will ensure that patients suffering any type of stroke will be treated appropriately and quickly without need for transfer outside the city. “We are very pleased to be part of a solution that makes access to emergency stroke care available to everyone in San Antonio,” said David Jimenez, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Health Science Center. “The Brain & Stroke Network is the right answer, at the right time.”

Diagnostic support around the clock is now available in the Baptist Health System through new call coverage agreements with local neurologists and through telemedicine neurological coverage. Dicky Huey, M.D, neurologist, will serve as Medical Director of The Brain and Stroke Network. “With stroke, time is brain. That’s why our emergency room staff is specially trained to recognize and triage stroke patients, and our hospitals are equipped with the latest technology available to diagnose and treat stroke patients,” said Dr. Huey.

Beyond the agreements with the right specialists, BHS also has developed special clinical protocols as part of The Brain & Stroke Network so that at-risk patients are seen quickly and treated immediately, as time is the greatest enemy when a patient presents with stroke symptoms. Ana Tattersall-Cocke RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, Director, Stroke Services, has been working since January to develop these protocols and educate BHS nursing staff on best practices in stroke treatment.
 
When an emergency room physician in any of the five Baptist hospitals suspects that a patient is having a stroke, a CT scan is ordered. The neurologist on call facilitates an examination of the patient by the ER staff, views the CT scan and has an opportunity to interact with the patient and family members. The neurologist, along with the ER physician, can then make an assessment to determine whether the patient is a candidate for thrombolytic therapy with t-PA medication, which can help halt the damage caused by the stroke if administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms. This drug helps dissolve blood clots that cause ischemic strokes -- the most common type of stroke. If it is determined that the patient does need surgery, the neurosurgeon from the UTHSC group is called.

The Brain & Stroke Network goes beyond providing fast and expert stroke care in an emergency. The network also provides a robust rehabilitation program which consists of physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation nursing, nutrition counseling and psychological support. The team approach includes the patient and their family. Comprehensive stroke rehabilitation programs are located at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital and at Baptist Medical Center, and give patients full access to specialists and services. Neuro-Developmental technique trained therapists and Certified Rehab Nurses are available to work with patients recovering from stroke. All private rooms, excellent discharge planning, and "Starting Now" Stroke Education Classes for patients and care-givers, are just a few of the services offered for patients recovering from stroke through the Brain and Stroke Network at Baptist Health System.  

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff thanked Baptist Health System for taking the lead in developing a program aimed at addressing the need for improved stroke care in San Antonio and Bexar County. “I am very grateful to Baptist for coming up with this solution,” said Wolff. “The Brain & Stroke Network, with the involvement of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center, will no doubt dramatically raise the level of stroke care available for our community.”

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. That’s why Baptist will launch an aggressive public education campaign in conjunction with the launch of the network - in an effort to educate the public on the need to act FAST if someone is having a stroke. The community education program will begin the week of August 4th and will direct people to a website, www.TheStrokeNetwork.com where stroke education is available. Clinical stroke educators from Baptist Health System and physicians specializing in neurology issues and rehabilitation will reach out to organizations, businesses, clubs and other groups wishing to educate their constituents on stroke.

Baptist Health System has begun taking the necessary steps to become an accredited stroke center by the end of the year. 

Learn More About Stroke Care at Baptist 
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