PCH Named Stroke-Ready Hospital Again

Paris Community Hospital (PCH) continues to be officially recognized as an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that the hospital would retain its stroke-ready designation, effective January 9, 2018. The re-designation means that IDPH is “confident that Paris Community Hospital will provide quality stroke care and assist in the delivery of care within the State of Illinois.”

IDPH defines an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital as being one capable of diagnosing, treating, and transporting acute stroke patients to a higher level of care as warranted. The three-year re-designation also means that ambulances transporting potential stroke patients cannot bypass PCH.

“Being a stroke-ready hospital is great for our community,” said Samantha McCarty, RN, manager of critical care at PCH. “It means that we are well prepared should someone experience a stroke emergency. When someone has a stroke, seconds matter from the time the event occurs to the time treatment is received. Having a stroke-ready hospital close to home ensures patients are receiving the best treatment to promote the best outcomes.”

PCH was first designated an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital in 2015. To maintain the designation, the hospital was required to submit data to the state to indicate its ability to treat stroke according to national standards of care for stroke patients.

According to the IDPH, stroke is the third leading cause of death in Illinois. In 2010, there were 5,333 deaths in the state due to stroke. Nearly 90 percent of all strokes are ischemic strokes, when blood flow to the brain is blocked.