From caring for neurological disorders and brain injuries to providing rapid and critical care for stroke patients, the Valley Baptist Health System Neuroscience Institute has been at the forefront of neurological care and research in the Rio Grande Valley for nearly a decade.
Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen was the first facility south of San Antonio to bring comprehensive stroke care to local residents by being certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV Healthcare in 2016 — a certification that showed Valley Baptist’s commitment to providing compassionate and high-quality neurological care, said Dr. Victoria Parada, a neurologist and Stroke Medical Director at Valley Baptist-Harlingen.
“There was an amazing amount of teamwork and collaboration that went into Valley Baptist’s first comprehensive stroke center certification, and we were working to provide the highest level of stroke care to our patients before anyone else south of San Antonio,” she said. “That level of collaboration continues even today, as we work diligently as a team to ensure that we provide positive outcomes for as many stroke patients as possible.”
Since then, the stroke program at Valley Baptist Health System has continued to earn accolades. Both Valley Baptist-Brownsville and Valley Baptist-Harlingen earned numerous awards from the American Heart Association in 2025, and both hospitals have earned “Gold Plus” recognition for 10 or more consecutive calendar years for providing high-quality stroke care to patients throughout the Valley and beyond.
“Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients experience better clinical outcomes,” said Dr. Ameer Hassan, DO, FAHA, FSVIN, Head of the Neuroscience Department, Director of Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology and Director of Clinical Neuroscience Research at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen. “The end goal is to ensure more people throughout the Rio Grande Valley can experience longer, healthier lives.”
The Valley Baptist Neuroscience Institute has remained on the cutting edge of stroke care through ongoing research, playing a role in several published studies that have led to advancements in global stroke treatment, said Hassan. By participating in global research, Hassan said the Valley Baptist Neuroscience Institute plays a driving role in advancing stroke treatment for the Latino community.
“Valley Baptist continues to lead the way in participating in stroke research in our region,” he said. “This research guides the future of stroke care in our communities and worldwide, including the latest research revealing improvement in care outcomes even in patients with some baseline disabilities, as well as the benefit of endovascular treatment in smaller vessels in the brain.”
Valley Baptist’s commitment to providing comprehensive neurological care extends far beyond stroke treatment. Dr. Bradley Stephens, who joined Valley Baptist’s Neuroscience Institute in 2024 and currently serves as Valley Baptist’s Neurosurgery Medical Director, said working to care for a wide variety of neurological conditions is an important component of the institute’s mission.
Restoring and improving the quality of life for each patient is a prime component of the Neuroscience Institute’s mission of caring for the community, Stephens said.
“The passion and investment from the neuroscience institute is exciting to witness and rewarding to be a part of the improvement in care for our community.”
For more information on the Valley Baptist Neuroscience Institute, visit valleybaptist.net/services/neurology-and-neurosurgery.
