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Bay Village honors paramedics whose rapid action helped save stroke patient
Summary
An emergency physician from Cleveland Clinic described a March 18 case in which Bay Village EMS recognized stroke signs prehospital, enabling clot‑busting medication and a thrombectomy; paramedics Lieutenant Jeff Bidmark and firefighter Chris Becker were presented certificates.
Bay Village on Monday recognized city paramedics for a rapid prehospital response that Cleveland Clinic staff credited with saving a resident's life.
Dr. Andrew Dennis, an emergency physician at Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital, told council members about a March 18 case in which Bay Village EMS identified stroke symptoms before transport and activated a prehospital stroke alert. The early notice allowed hospital staff to prepare immediately; the patient arrived with a 21 score on the NIH Stroke Scale, a score Dr. Dennis described as an extreme and life‑threatening stroke. Cleveland Clinic clinicians administered clot‑busting medication and performed mechanical thrombectomy, and the patient's score improved to 1, Dr. Dennis said.
Council presented certificates to Lieutenant Jeff Bidmark and firefighter Chris Becker for their role in the call; firefighter Eric Leitner, also on the scene, was on medical leave and could not attend. President Dwight Clark and others called the outcome "remarkable" and praised the skill of local emergency responders.
Why it matters
The case illustrates the role of coordinated EMS‑hospital systems in time‑sensitive stroke care, and council members used the recognition to highlight training and emergency response partnerships with area hospitals.
Quotes
"Because of your paramedics' quick action and excellent care, we were able to administer advanced stroke treatment without delay," Dr. Andrew Dennis said. "Today, the patient's NIH Stroke Scale is 1, meaning she only has the mildest of residual symptoms."
Ending
Council members held a small recognition and photo opportunity to honor the responders and to underline the importance of rapid prehospital stroke recognition.
