SALISBURY, N.C., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowan Regional Medical Center has been certified as a stroke center by a national accrediting organization, one of only six hospitals in the state to achieve the designation.
“When stroke patients come to Rowan Regional, they can be assured the latest treatments for strokes are immediately available, including the option of administering clot-breaking drugs that can reverse the debilitating effects of a stroke,” said Claire Wilkie, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at Rowan Regional.
To become certified as a stroke center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, a hospital must undergo a rigorous program of training and preparation to care for stroke patients as soon as they arrive at the Emergency Department.
Only five other hospitals in North Carolina have been certified as stroke centers - Carolinas Medical Center and Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, and High Point Regional Medical Center in High Point.
As part of the certification process, a “stroke code response team” was formed at Rowan Regional. Now, when a stroke victim arrives at the Emergency Department, a special code is activated, bringing a flood of attention to the stroke victim. After the stroke patient is examined by a physician and a CT scan performed on the victim’s brain, physicians make the decision about the appropriate care for the patient, including possible use of clot-busting drugs that can reverse the physical and mental effects caused by strokes.
When stroke patients are admitted, a team consisting of a neurologist and other clinical professionals make daily examinations of each patient to share information about the patient’s progress and recommend a treatment regimen.
Commonly called “brain attacks” because they destroy brain cells, strokes affect about 700,000 Americans each year and are a leading cause of severe, long-term disability. A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain.
Between 1999 and 2002, strokes annually killed about 5,400 people in North Carolina and about 80 in Rowan County. Men have more strokes than women, and minorities have more strokes than whites.
In the past, there were few treatments for stroke victims. Now there are therapeutic drugs that dissolve blood clots and restore normal functions in many cases. But stroke victims should get to a hospital immediately since the drugs can be administered only in the first few hours after the onset of a stroke.
“Strokes are emergencies, pure and simple,” said Dr. Dennis Hill, a board certified neurologist who cares for stroke patients as part of his practice. “We can’t overemphasize the importance of getting to the hospital immediately after noticing the symptoms of stroke. Getting here quickly can save you or a family member from a lifetime of paralysis, blindness, or worse.”
Stroke symptoms include: - sudden numbness or weakness of the 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 difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. - sudden severe headache with no known cause.
“If anyone thinks they’re having a stroke, they should call 911 immediately,” Dr. Hill said. “Don’t wait with the idea that you might feel better later, as so many people do. We’d rather have you come to the Emergency Department and find out you didn’t have a stroke than stay home and suffer the consequences.”
Ms. Wilkie said the certification process at Rowan Regional was led by registered nurses Edwina Ritchie and Teresa Lanning. “Dr. Dennis Hill was an integral part of our preparation for the Joint Commission’s site visit,” Ms. Wilkie said, “and has served as a physician champion for our stroke education and protocols for several years.”
Participating in the training and establishment of procedures to care for stroke victims at Rowan Regional were Nursing Service, the Emergency Department, Laboratory, Radiology, Neurology, Outcomes/Quality Management, Physical Rehabilitation, Case Management and Administration.
Training also was provided to Rowan County’s Emergency Medical Services paramedics to help them recognize the signs of a stroke and to communicate information about the patient with Emergency Department personnel during transport of stroke victims.
During the 12-month certification process: - patient data was collected and analyzed to ensure that optimum care was provided for each patient. National and state data on stroke patients was compared to Rowan Regional’s patient outcomes. - communication processes were analyzed to ensure that information about stroke victims was shared with every department involved in the patient’s care. - additional training was provided to clinical staff, Emergency Department physicians, and to EMS personnel. - patient monitoring results were analyzed and shared with several clinical committees at the hospital. - educational resources were provided for patients and caregivers of patients about to be discharged.
Rowan Regional Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit, acute care hospital. It offers women’s health services, cardiology, oncology, and inpatient rehabilitation services, extensive outpatient services, a 24-hour Emergency Department, hospice and home health services, and psychiatric services.
Rowan Regional Medical Center
CONTACT: Phil Whitesell, Director, Corporate Communications of RowanRegional Medical Center, +1-704-210-5632
Web site: http://www.rowan.org/