Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland Reminds You That Heart Emergencies Require Timely Care

3/29/2021

Pay attention to the warning signs and don’t let the pandemic stop you

Cleveland, TN – Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland wants you to know that we’ve changed habits and actions to protect our health during the pandemic, but one thing still remains the same – we need to take quick action with a possible heart attack or stroke. Life-threatening blockages and arrhythmias need timely detection and treatment to support the best possible outcome. Waiting to get help can increase the damage to heart muscle or brain tissue.

Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland has deep resources ready to support diagnosis and intervention in the event of heart attack or stroke. We are a receiving facility for STEMI patients and are celebrating our 10th year as Accredited Chest Pain Center, which includes three modern cath labs. We are proud of our cardiologists, ER team, and cath lab team who are here for you when minutes matter to save lives.

“I am fortunate to be a part of an amazing team that is dedicated to saving lives when minutes matter. We want to ensure to our community that whenever there is any concern about cardiac warning symptoms or any cardiac emergency please do not delay seeking evaluation or care. Once you recognize symptoms or are suffering from emergent situation, dial 9-1-1 immediately which is the safest way to reach the nearest medical facility. Just know we will be here ready to care for you, “states Abbas Agha, M.D., Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland's medical chair of cardiac services.

Concern for safety during the pandemic has kept many people from seeking medical help and that can get in the way of timely treatment in an emergency. Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland is actively working to maintain a safe place patients can get medical help whether for a medical emergency or routine care.

The hospital’s precautions include enhanced practices for infection prevention, restricted access to the facility, and furniture arrangement to support social distancing and patient flow. Caregivers practice infection prevention including wearing personal protective equipment and washing hands before and after caring for each patient. Care for any COVID-19 positive patients is in a separate, designated unit.

“We know that everyone is ready to return to some form of normalcy, but our team has gone above and beyond to ensure that your or your family member have the healthcare resources you need. Now is the time to take care of yourself for you and your family,” states JT Barnhart, CEO of Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland.

Calling 9-1-1 for an ambulance is the best action rather than trying to drive to the hospital yourself when you or someone you are with experiences heart attack or stroke symptoms. EMS crews are trained to care for patients experiencing heart attack and stroke, so you’ll get medical care sooner.

Signs of a possible heart attack can include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, and/or pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm or shoulder. Women also may feel nauseous, light-headed or unusually tired.

Symptoms of a stroke can be remembered with the acronym F-A-S-T:

• Face drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
• Arm weakness - Is one arm weak or numb?
• Speech difficulty - Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
• 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.

If you need more information on your personal risk factors for heart disease, schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor, or call (423) 476-4466 to be connected with one of Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland’s qualified cardiologists.

Back