Ridley Park— In May 2009, Taylor Hospital joined an elite group of hospitals across the nation when it became certified as a Primary Stroke Center. Currently, there are slightly more than 500 hospitals in the United States that have earned this designation.
“Certification means a few things for the hospital and its medical staff, ” says Gregory Cuculino, M.D., chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Taylor Hospital and co-chairman of the Taylor Stroke Committee. “Chief among them is that we can continue to provide excellent care for patients in our community who suffer a stroke. Certification is also a reward for providing the best care for our stroke patients. It means that we offer the latest treatments and meet the highest national standards of care for stroke.”
In addition, a Certified Primary Stroke Center adheres to guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for and meets the specialized needs of stroke patients. Taylor Hospital has a process in place to treat patients rapidly and effectively to minimize the chance of long-term complications that can result from having a stroke.
“We had a very successful survey,” says Suzanne Jenkins, R.N., B.S.N., stroke coordinator for Taylor Hospital. “Usually, the Joint Commission surveyor finds at least one thing that needs improvement, but Taylor had no RFIs (Requirements for Improvement) or deficiencies. This is truly an outstanding accomplishment.”
When a person comes to Taylor with stroke symptoms, the stroke team is at the ready and immediately springs into action. “Patients presenting with a stroke are given priority status,” Jenkins says. “What makes us different from hospitals who are not Primary Stroke Centers is that we have processes in place for rapid diagnostic testing (CT scan and laboratory) and can determine if the patient is eligible to receive tPA, a clot-busting drug. Even if the patient is not a candidate for tPA, studies have shown that that the sooner we begin treatment for stroke the better the patient’s outcome.”
Other key services that a Certified Primary Stroke Center must offer include having immediate neurological backup, access to neurosurgical services, and providing care by stroke-trained nurses. In addition, Taylor’s paramedics recently received specialized training to recognize when a person is having a stroke. They begin assessment en route to the hospital and notify medical command, which alerts the Emergency Department that a potential stroke patient is on their way. This enables the team to be ready to begin the assessment process when the patient arrives at the hospital.
Signs and Symptoms
Stroke is a medical emergency. Similar to a heart attack, where the longer a person waits to be seen and treated the more vital heart muscle dies, a stroke is termed a “brain attack.” In this scenario, though, precious brain cells permanently die the longer someone waits to go to the emergency room.
Know the signs and symptoms of stroke, and act F.A.S.T.:
Facial weakness. Ask the person to smile. Take a look to see if his or her mouth or eyelids have drooped.
Arm weakness. Ask the person to raise both arms.
Speech problems. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Can the person speak clearly? Can he or she understand what you are saying?
Test all three symptoms. If the person fails any of the tests, call 911 immediately.
Additional signs of stroke include the following:
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing
- Sudden trouble walking or dizziness
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Jenkins commends the multidisciplinary team that worked so hard to make Taylor’s certification a reality. “This was an incredible team effort,” she says. “We had representation from the Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services, the laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, ICU, 3 West (nursing stroke unit), PM&R, clinical education, social work and Quality Monitoring and Improvement. Our physicians and neurologists also provided invaluable support and counsel.”
“I’d like to emphasize the importance of the team effort that Suzanne alluded to,” states Bradley Grayum, M.D., chief of the Division of Neurology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and co-chairman of the Taylor Stroke Committee. “While Dr. Cuculino’s colleagues and mine sometimes collaborate on urgent treatment interventions in the Emergency Room (e.g., tPA), the American Stroke Association’s data have shown us that providing care in a specialized stroke unit with appropriately trained nurses saves more lives and prevents more disability than clot-busting and other emergency interventions. Contributions from the entire stroke team are key to preventing and ameliorating our patient’s long-term disability.”
“I feel that this certification will enable Taylor Hospital to continue to provide excellent care to our community for years to come,” Cuculino says. “Patients will feel confident in coming to our hospital knowing that we are maintaining the highest standards in stroke care. Our multidisciplinary team and processes ensure that we can maximize a patient’s recovery from something as devastating as a stroke.”
To learn more about stroke and the importance of seeking out a Certified Primary Stroke Center for care, visit http://stroke.crozer.org.