A day of Christmas shopping took a traumatizing turn for 62-year-old Brainard Artis.
“I was in the store and getting really confused,” says Artis. “I loaded up my packages and by the time I got home, I knew there was something terribly wrong.”
Artis recounts how his speech became slurred and he was increasingly confused. His girlfriend noticed his behavior and said she was taking him to the hospital immediately.
Artis arrived at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago where his stroke was quickly diagnosed as severe and continuing to evolve. The staff there administered tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), then contacted the advanced stroke team at Community Hospital so that Artis could undergo immediate lifesaving treatment for his condition.
“Brainard had a large clot in his left middle cerebral artery,” says Jill Conner, RN, MS, CNS, administrative director of Neuroscience, Cerebrovascular and Structural Heart Services at Community Hospital. “Strokes occurring in this artery are the most debilitating and have the highest mortality. His life was on the line and every minute counted toward getting him into surgery and removing that clot.”
He was in good hands. Community Hospital has been certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The certification recognizes hospitals for their demonstrated expertise in offering higher quality standards in the treatment of patients who have suffered the most severe types of stroke.
This elevated level of care is demonstrated by the center’s ability to deliver advanced, high quality treatment for patients including:
- 24/7 access to minimally invasive catheter procedures to treat stroke
- a dedicated Neuroscience intensive care unit
- onsite neurosurgical availability 24/7 with the ability to perform complex neuroendovascular procedures
- treatment for large ischemic, hemorrhagic and other complex strokes
On December 8, the ambulance delivered Artis at Community Hospital. Within 12 minutes he was in the hospital’s specialized Hybrid operating room where a neuroendovascular surgeon began performing a cerebral thrombectomy procedure. Thirty-three minutes later, the clot was successfully removed and blood flow was restored to his brain.
By December 21, Artis had recovered and advanced enough through rehabilitation to return home. On December 25, he celebrated Christmas by watching family open the presents he was shopping for on the day of his stroke.
“I believe that God’s plan was for me to come to Community Hospital that day,” says Artis. “And Community was ready for me.”
For more information on quality stroke care provided by the hospitals of Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org/stroke.
