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SIH provider caring hands

When Minutes Matter, SIH Delivers

Every minute matters in stroke care. SIH hospitals track each moment from arrival to treatment, known as door-to-needle time. The national goal is to administer clot-busting medication within 60 minutes of arrival. At SIH, our goal is 30 minutes — and our teams often surpass it. In 2025, SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale reached a record of just 15 minutes, and SIH Herrin Hospital achieved 19 minutes. These life-saving efforts are celebrated through our “Thirty Minute Club,” which honors the teamwork behind these remarkable results.

Our commitment extends across the region through SIH’s Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals — SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital and SIH Harrisburg Medical Center — which provide rapid evaluation and treatment within 50 miles of patients’ homes. In addition, SIH’s Telestroke Network connects community hospitals outside our system with SIH neurointensivists 24/7/365, expanding access to expert stroke care.

About Our Stroke Program

SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale became the first Joint Commission–certified Primary Stroke Center in April 2014, followed soon after by SIH Herrin Hospital in July 2015. These certifications are voluntary and reflect a commitment to excellence beyond standard requirements. Achieving and maintaining them for over a decade requires a dedicated team of physicians, nurses, therapists, emergency responders, and many others.

This collaboration means stroke patients in Southern Illinois can often be evaluated, treated, and recover locally — without the stress of being transferred far from home. When a higher level of care is needed, SIH partners with other regional healthcare systems to ensure patients receive seamless, timely treatment while staying as close as possible to their loved ones. And with our active and ongoing involvement in life-saving stroke research, we are ensuring patients in Southern Illinois will have the most advanced, forward-thinking care available. 

Stroke Center Designations

  • SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale – Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center; Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines® recognition
  • SIH Herrin Hospital – Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center; Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines® recognition
  • SIH St. Joseph Memorial Hospital – Illinois Department of Health Acute Stroke Ready Hospital; Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines® recognition
  • SIH Harrisburg Medical Center – Illinois Department of Health Acute Stroke Ready Hospital; Get With the Guidelines® certification in process

Our Collaborative Care Approach Includes:

Together, we’ll help you set and work toward goals that matter most to you. These goals may be simple or ambitious, such as:

  • Working in the garden again
  • Dancing at a loved one’s wedding
  • Returning to independent living
  • Improving speech and communication

No matter how big or small, your goals become the driving force behind your care plan. At SIH, we believe stroke survivors play an active role in their recovery, and our teams are here to walk beside you every step of the way.

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