BENTON, Ark. (April 9, 2025) – Susan Flowers was at home on her farm in Saline County when she first got the text that alerted her that something was wrong. Her husband, Jim, had gone to get hay, and the family friend that had gone with him sent word ahead that Jim needed to go to the hospital.

When they arrived, she saw that Jim was off balance, and that his speech was garbled. He was disoriented and could not walk or stand up well. She recognized the symptoms: Jim was having a stroke.

“I had a stroke when I was 40, so I recognized all the signs,” Susan said. “When we got to the hospital, they started immediately on the stroke protocol.”

The physician and nurse did their evaluation while taking Jim back for a CT scan. Once he returned from the CT scan, the team connected to a live video consultation with a neurologist at UAMS for a stroke exam through the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation (IDHI) Stroke Program. The CT readings were also transmitted to UAMS.

Once the neurologist and emergency department doctor agreed that it was indicated, the team at Saline Memorial Hospital administered TNK, an injection that dissolves the blood clot or plaque buildup that causes ischemic strokes.

“When someone is having a stroke, getting treatment promptly is critical,” said Shannon Cleghorn, registered nurse and stroke program coordinator at Saline Memorial Hospital. “Many Arkansas hospitals do not have neurology services available on site, but the IDHI Stroke Program makes it possible for us to perform the stroke assessment quickly, so patients don’t lose valuable time enroute to other facilities. It allows us to have immediate access to a neurologist.”

On April 3, the Arkansas Department of Health recognized Saline Memorial Hospital as an Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital (ArSRH). Facilities with the ArSRH designation are capable of providing time-critical care for stroke patients, including the initial emergency evaluation, real-time stroke assessment through telemedicine as well as thrombolytic therapy administration. Although all IDHI Stroke Program and all Mercy telestroke participating sites have been provisionally designated as ArSRHs, Saline Memorial Hospital is the only facility in Saline County to have received its official designation at this time.

“With stroke, every second counts. Each hour of delay in stroke treatment ages the brain four years and increases the chances of permanent disability,” said Dr. Bala Simon, deputy chief medical officer for ADH, in its press release. “The ArSRH designation ensures that stroke patients make it to the closest appropriate hospital when they dial 911.”

After receiving treatment at Saline Memorial Hospital, Jim was transferred to Baptist Medical Center for the remainder of his care. Susan said by the next day he was pretty much back to normal, and he was able to resume his duties as a Saline County chaplain not long afterward.

Part of what made his quick recovery possible was that Susan recognized the symptoms of a stroke and knew he needed care immediately, according to Cleghorn. She stressed how important it is for people to learn to recognize the BEFAST acronym:

B – Balance: Is there a sudden loss of balance or coordination?

E – Eyes: Is there a sudden change in vision or trouble seeing?

F – Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?

A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?

S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?

T – Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

The Flowers family also attributed Jim’s recovery to the promptness of the care they received at Saline Memorial Hospital.

“We were very pleased with the care I received at Saline,” Jim said. “We have a lot of people who visit us from out of town, so being only about 15 minutes or so from Saline’s emergency room is very important to us.”

About Saline Memorial Hospital

Saline Health System, a part of LifePoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of primary care and specialty clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. Saline Memorial Hospital is also proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Grade “A” Hospital for its commitment to patient safety and quality care. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit LifePointHealth.net