When dealing with stroke, it is often said that “time is brain.”
Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville unveiled new equipment during the launch of its new thrombectomy program in late July, ensuring that local residents will have enhanced access to the latest stroke treatments when time is of the essence.
The new program and its associated equipment and facility upgrades represent a capital investment of more than $12 million over 15 months, demonstrating Valley Baptist’s commitment to improving the community’s access to neurological care through the Valley Baptist Health System Neuroscience Institute.
The centerpiece of the upgrades is the hospital’s new bi-plane imaging system. Bi-plane imaging equipment is vital to stroke care, as it provides incredibly detailed, three-dimensional images that allow interventional neurologists to more effectively and safely treat stroke patients. Leaning on the precision provided by bi-plane imaging, thrombectomy is the process through which interventional neurologists guide tiny wires through a stroke patient’s arteries to the clot in the brain which is causing the stroke symptoms. Once reached, interventional neurologists use specialized equipment to mechanically remove the clot, restoring blood flow to the affected area of the brain.
Dr. Ameer Hassan, an interventional neurologist and head of the neuroscience program at Valley Baptist Health System, said the hospital’s new and enhanced capabilities are critical to providing the best stroke treatments to the Brownsville community.
“At Valley Baptist, we are the first comprehensive stroke center south of San Antonio, and we are the most experienced stroke program here in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said. “We looked at what we could do to enhance stroke care in the region, and we decided that a bi-plane system here at Valley Baptist-Brownsville was critical to reducing treatment delays, patient transfers, and keeping patients close to their families and their homes.”
As the population throughout the Rio Grande Valley and Cameron County continues to expand and age, the neurological healthcare needs of local residents are also on the rise.
To meet the needs and exceed the expectations of the communities it serves, Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville has completed a wide array of improvements and technological advancements while at the same time attracting several highly trained physicians to ensure that patients receive award-winning healthcare close to home.
Upgrades to Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s thrombectomy lab will help neurologists provide rapid, high-quality care for stroke patients, while the hospital has worked to modernize its operating rooms, ensuring surgeons have access to advanced technology that supports the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques. This enhancement is expected to improve patient outcomes, reduce recovery times, and further strengthen the quality of surgical care provided to the community.
The upgrades tell a story of a hospital committed to meeting the needs and expectations of the communities it serves, said Marisa Aguilar, Chief Operating Officer at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville.
“The healthcare needs of residents throughout the Rio Grande Valley are expanding at an incredibly rapid rate, and as we have for more than a century, Valley Baptist-Brownsville will continue to rise to the challenge of providing award-winning healthcare to our communities close to home,” she said. “Especially when it comes to the critical nature of stroke care and treatment of other neurological issues, keeping our patients close to their support systems is one of our primary missions, as that support can have a direct positive impact on patient outcomes.”
While the financial investment signifies Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s commitment to exceeding the healthcare expectations of the community, such improvements are just one part of the plan. Valley Baptist-Brownsville has also invested in attracting motivated, highly trained physicians such as neurosurgeon Dr. Bradley Stephens to its medical staff.
Stephens, who treats patients in Brownsville and also serves as the Medical Director of the Neurosurgery Program at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, said Valley Baptist-Brownsville’s talented team of neurologists and neurosurgeons is dedicated to treating patients throughout the region – addressing the critical and highly-specialized neurological needs of the community.
“The passion and investment from the standpoints of technology, expertise, and manpower are exciting to witness,” he said. “We are advancing neurological care for the Rio Grande Valley at Valley Baptist, and that is incredibly rewarding to be a part of.”
For more information on comprehensive neurological services provided at Valley Baptist-Brownsville and the health system’s neuroscience institute, visit valleybaptist.net/services/neurology-and-neurosurgery.
