News

Pardee partnering with Mission on advanced care for strokes

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 1, 2019

Pardee UNC Health Care announced today that it will partner with Mission Health to launch a telestroke program. The new partnership, starting Friday, will expand Pardee’s stroke treatment capability and allow a neurologist to diagnose and treat stroke as quickly as possible.

“Henderson County population continues to demand that we expand our services,” said Johnna Reed, chief administrative officer at Pardee. “Despite the expansion of the neurology practice, meeting demand has remained a challenge. While recruiting efforts continue, Pardee is innovating with a regional partner to ensure advanced care close to home.”

Pardee and Mission Health physicians have historically collaborated to ensure Pardee patients have access to neurologists 24/7. An extension of that relationship is the new telestroke program. This approach supports Pardee’s efforts to meet the growing clinical needs of the community.

“Pardee is investing in this telestroke program with Mission Health to provide the best possible care in our community,” said Joel Callahan, Jr., M.D., a neurologist at Pardee Neurology Associates. “When it comes to stroke, time is brain. Pardee strives to provide the highest quality of stroke care and this new service expands our capabilities to provide 24/7 stroke coverage.”

"With advanced neuroimaging and improvements in therapeutic options for acute stroke, it is important for the hospitals in our region to coordinate the care effort of stroke patients in Western North Carolina,” said Alex Schneider, MD, medical director for the Mission Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Program. “We are delighted to be working in close partnership with Pardee UNC Health Care to manage these challenging cases through the tele-health platform with the goal of getting patients to the right place at the right time to offer them the best chance for stroke recovery."

Pardee averages 30 stroke cases per month. For the past two years, the hospital has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. To learn more about neurology at Pardee, visit www.pardeehospital.org/care-treatment/neurology.