Lancaster General earns Primary Stroke Center recertification

When someone suffers a stroke, identifying the warning signs early and seeking immediate treatment from a trusted source is vital to a patient’s survival and recovery.

Spotting the early warning signs   Symptoms that signal a decreased blood supply to the brain are called Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA).TIAs resolve within hours, but must be taken seriously as they are a warning sign of a possible impending stroke. If you, or anyone you know experience any of the following symptoms, call 911 immediately: Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause. Time is critical! The faster you obtain help the better chance you have of limiting, or preventing, permanent brain damage.   Remember that time saved is brain saved!

You can be sure your healthcare provider is delivering high quality care to stroke victims by choosing a hospital certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Originally certified by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center in 2004, Lancaster General earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care that meets and exceeds national standards for improving outcomes for stroke patients.

Lancaster General was recertified as a Primary Stroke Center in December 2006. This was the first recertification visit to validate Lancaster General Hospital’s continued excellence in providing stroke care.

“By meeting these standards, patients can be assured that Lancaster General is providing high quality care to stroke patients,” says Kathy Morrison, BSN, RN, CNRN, Stroke Program Coordinator.

The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association for stroke care.

The survey evaluated Lancaster General’s acute care processes, community education and awareness efforts and post-acute care programs for stroke patients.

Complete stroke care

To achieve this distinction, Lancaster General has demonstrated its commitment to patient-centered care in a number of areas related to stroke:

• Prevention – encourage people to take preventive measures that reduce the chances of suffering a stroke
• Warning Signs – provide information about the early signs of a stroke to promote prompt medical treatment
• Early Response – collaborate with EMS on education and techniques to enhance their response
• Staff Education – provide stroke education for nurses and therapists to ensure high quality care and outcomes
• State-of-the-Art Technology – offer the latest technology to enhance treatment
• Facilities – provide facilities and amenities that promote rehabilitation and recovery

“We are committed to providing stroke patients with the comprehensive care they need to recover,” Kathy says.

Lancaster General Hospital has a dedicated team specially trained to care for stroke patients. Our skilled team members include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, radiologists and interventional radiologists, physiatrists, nurses, nurse care managers, and physical, occupational and speech therapists.

Neuroscience nurses at Lancaster General have also been trained and certified in the NIH Stroke Scale Scoring, which allows them to evaluate the functional status of the patient, look at the patient’s deficits and create a score that determines the severity of the patient’s condition more effectively.

The Stroke Center’s inpatient rehab team starts working with patients while still recovering in the hospital.

An outpatient case manager meets with the patient to set up an appropriate therapy schedule.

One visible improvement at the Stroke Center has been the creation of large private rooms for each patient. These family-centered rooms include a comfortable family area for visitors, and a discreet location for therapy.

“Our therapists appreciate the increased space in the room that enables them to provide patients with the therapy they need in the privacy of their own rooms,” Kathy says.

The outpatient stroke rehab team offers traditional therapies, as well as innovative therapies like Functional Achievement and Social Transitions (FAST) Track Neurological Day Treatment Program at the Health Campus. FAST Track combines language and cognitive therapy, physical and occupational therapy, neuropsychology, nursing care management, family and patient education and reintegration to home and work. Aquatic therapy, on-site job evaluations, pre-driving assessments, caregiver support and home evaluations are also offered.

Lancaster General is also committed to educating the community: showing ways to reduce risk factors for stroke, offering screenings for stroke risk, and getting the word out about early identification of stroke signs.

“We think that our community outreach is working,” Kathy says. “People are recognizing the stroke signs sooner and are getting treatment earlier.”

In fact, in the past six months, Lancaster General has treated as many patients for stroke symptoms as it did in the previous year,” Kathy says. She attributes that to an increased awareness in the stroke warning signs.

Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

Some members of the Lancaster General Stroke Center Team are (front row, left to right) Andrea Givens, 7 Lime; Kathy Morrison, BSN, RN, CNRN, Stroke Program Coordinator; Mary Lou Jones, RN, CRRW, Rehab 4-W; Marie Hollis-Kosmela, BSN, RN, CEN, Emergency Department; (back row, left to right) Carol Noll, RN, CCRN, CNRN,Trauma-Neurosurgical ICU; Patricia Genet, MS CCC-SLP, Speech Pathology; John Censier, RTR-CV, Angio Supervisor, Radiology; Kim Zimmerman, RN, CCM, CRRN, Neuro Center, Aquatic Rehab; and Sharon Sweigart, RN, 7 West.

For more information related to this topic:

• Lancaster General Primary Stroke Center
• Take our Stroke Risk Assessment
• Health Library: Stroke (Brain Attack)
• Stroke Awareness Kit
• Health Library: What Is Stroke?
• Physician Chronicles: Stroke

 

 

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