Stroke Care – A Hospital’s Commitment to the Community
Washington Regional’s mission is to improve the health of people in the communities we serve. One of the ways we do that is through stroke care and prevention. Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S., and Washington Regional’s stroke program, part of the J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute, provides the highest level of stroke care in the region.
Jennifer Bonner, a nurse practitioner at Washington Regional’s J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute, is proud of the work her team does. “At Washington Regional, we provide acute treatment for stroke patients in ways that were not possible before — and that no one else in our area does,” she says.
“Every day, we are impacting people with stroke in Northwest Arkansas — and those outside of Northwest Arkansas who come here for treatment.”
A stroke patient’s best chance for survival and recovery, Bonner says, is at a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Washington Regional is the only hospital in Northwest Arkansas — and one of only three hospitals in the state — to have earned certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. It is the highest level of certification for hospitals with specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. “This means that Washington Regional has the capability to provide all the care that a stroke patient needs,” Bonner says.
Finding a Comprehensive Stroke Center at a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit organization such as Washington Regional is remarkable, she adds. “Comprehensive Stroke Centers are generally attached to large academic centers. Washington Regional is a community-owned hospital, yet we treat stroke patients at the absolute highest level. Our stroke program is in an elite class.”
Maintaining an elite-class stroke treatment program in Northwest Arkansas requires a significant investment in technology, training and specialized staff, Bonner says. “I really appreciate that Washington Regional’s executive leadership has been willing to commit resources to creating a program that helps people with stroke in our neighborhood, in our community,” she says.
“That takes a real commitment on the part of Washington Regional’s board of directors and administration, and I appreciate that they’re willing to put the resources into that.”