Neurology expertise at BUMC helped avid cyclist Jim Crawford get back on his feet and back on his wheels .
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Riding Toward the Future
Neurology expertise at BUMC helped avid cyclist Jim Crawford get back on his feet and back on his wheels .
our years ago , Dallas resident Jim Crawford , a long-time cyclist , experienced a near-fatal stroke after a long bike ride . His speech suddenly became garbled , and he fell out of his chair . His wife , Anne , recognized the stroke symptoms and called 911 .
When EMTs planned to take him to a local hospital , Anne insisted on Baylor University Medical Center ( BUMC ), knowing it was a Level 1 comprehensive stroke center .
Emergency department physicians on the medical staff at BUMC determined Jim had suffered an ischemic stroke , which happens when a blood clot blocks an artery leading to the brain , causing brain cells to die within minutes .
According to the interventional neuroradiologist treating him , Jim had almost no blood going to the left side of his brain . Jim was treated with tPA , a clot-busting stroke drug , and moved to interventional radiology for a thrombectomy , a surgical procedure to remove clots so blood can flow freely .
Jim doesn ’ t remember much prior to being discharged two days later , but he knew the quick removal of his clots saved his life . “ The whole team did their part to save me and my cognitive abilities ,” he said .
BUMC stroke center : A beacon of quality care
Jim is one of approximately 1,200 patients treated for stroke annually at
BUMC , which has a nationally accredited stroke center . This designation recognizes
BUMC for having the staff and expertise to rapidly diagnosis and treat strokes .
“ Every minute matters ,” said Jennifer Rasmussen-Winkler ,
MD , chief of neurology at BUMC . “ We know that a minute of an ischemic stroke is 1.9 million neurons that die , so we work really hard
Dr . Jennifer Rasmussen-Winkler
to carve off every minute that we can .”
Carving off minutes requires an interdisciplinary team of clinicians — emergency department physicians , nurses , neurologists , radiologists and neurointerventionalists — working quickly to save as many neurons as possible .
“ Of the stroke patients who come through our doors each year , 54 % of them end up going home at discharge ,” said Dion Graybeal , MD ,
Dr . Dion Graybeal medical director of the
BUMC stroke program . “ They ’ re not needing to be hospitalized further or go to an extensive rehab facility .” This focus on improving outcomes for stroke patients has placed BUMC among the top 5 % of hospitals in the country for stroke care and patient outcomes according to Target Stroke , an American Heart Association initiative focused on improving acute ischemic stroke care .
Expanding access through telemedicine
Jim ’ s stroke happened while he was close to home — and close to BUMC — but medical emergencies can happen at any time or place . “ You may live in Dallas , but you go to your ranch , and you ’ re out in a rural area ,” said Dr . Rasmussen-Winkler , who also serves as medical director of the
BSW telestroke program . “ What happens if you have a stroke there ?”
Through the telestroke program , all Baylor Scott & White hospital emergency departments have immediate access to stroke specialists 24 / 7 . Telemedicine allows instantaneous involvement of a specialized stroke neurologist from BUMC to evaluate stroke patients remotely using technology to guide treatment .
“ We ’ re taking our expertise where there are very few of these doctors and spreading them among places that would never have had it before ,” Dr . Rasmussen-Winkler said .
Telestroke services like Baylor Scott & White ’ s are growing nationwide . In
recent years , these services have helped reduce the risk of death from stroke thanks to increased access in rural areas . “ Ninety-six percent of the U . S . population has telemedicine availability within
60 minutes of wherever they are ,” said Dr . Rasmussen-Winkler .
Training the next generation of neurologists Although access to stroke services has increased , the nation faces a shortage of neurologists . To address the shortage ,
BUMC plans to expand its graduate medical education program to include neurology residency training .
“ It ’ s really important we take this wealth of knowledge and excellence that we have in our system and teach the next generation ,” Dr . Rasmussen-Winkler said .
Funding for graduate medical education is limited , so philanthropic support is critical . It allows BUMC to attract the brightest talent — enabling clinicians to continue helping patients like Jim .
Jim , now 80 , is back to doing what he loves : cycling up to 30 miles a day .
“ Because of the Baylor Scott & White Health stroke team , we have had four more years of fun and life together that we probably wouldn ’ t have gotten if we had been anywhere else ,” Anne said . “ We have Baylor Scott & White to thank for that .”
For more information or to make a gift to support graduate medical education , please contact Casey Hogan at Casey . Hogan @ BSWHealth . org or call 214.820.2681 .
Anne and Jim Crawford
THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE FOUNDATION NEWS / SUMMER 2024 3