Hospital credited for stroke program – where seconds make all the difference
For coordinator Caezar Jara and the entire Adventist Health and Rideout Hospital Stroke Program staff, it is well understood how precious every second is.
So, when the hospital was awarded with the American Heart Association/american Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and recognized for the Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll, it means they are really quick at treating incoming stroke victims.
But more than that, the 2-year-old program attempts to dramatically decrease the debilitating effects a stroke can have on a person and in some cases, save their life.
“From a nonexistent program, to a program that achieves this type of recognition is a big deal,” Jara said. “But as a program coordinator, getting the award is just one part of it. The challenge is sustaining that and kind of saying, ‘what else can we do?’ It’s not a perfect program yet, so we still have more opportunities for improvement.”
Though the hospital had long treated stroke patients, the emergence of the program was sought to combat high rate of strokes in Yubasutter, Jara said.
Theresa Hyer, director of emergency services at Rideout, said as soon as the program was implemented, the hospital decreased the doorto-tpa time. A tissue plasminogen activator, or TPA, is the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke, according to a press release issued by the hospital.
“The really important thing is that it’s about the patient,” Hyer said. “Stroke is a devastating disease, so people have major debilitations and can die from it. To be able to have a very aggressive, strong stroke program is amazing for this community.”
Jara said victims see less loss of mobility and a higher chance of functional independence if the person receives medication as soon as possible.
To be recognized with the Target: Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll, the hospital met the targets of delivering the TPA to a victim within 60 minutes, 75 percent of the time and within 45 minutes, 50 percent of the time.
Hyer could speak firsthand to the importance of time, as her uncle’s stroke left him in the care of her aunt and has had dramatic effect on the family. For an administrative official with Rideout, who was recently treated for stroke symptoms, she made a full recovery in part because of the quick response time she received.
Technology has also played an important role in the program’s success, as the hospital utilizes a “Teleneurologist” from a mobile robot called “Rita.” Jara said the Rita allows a neurologist from Sacramento to beam into the patient’s room and diagnose symptoms of a stroke.
According to a press release, the hospital earned the Stroke Gold Plus award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period.
These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.
Before discharge, patients also received education on managing their health, received a follow-up visit, as well as other care transition interventions.
The stroke program received the awards at Rideout Café on Monday morning.