6 VITALITY Spring 2022 Citizens Memorial Hospital received national certification from DNV, an industry leader in hospital excellence and quality, as an Acute Stroke Ready Center, affirming the hospital’s readiness to handle strokes and stroke-related medical problems. CMH is also a designated Level III stroke center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. CMH partners with CoxHealth to offer 24/7 telestroke coverage, which remotely connects CMH stroke patients to neurologists at Cox South, the region’s only DNV-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. The program allows treatment to begin within minutes of a patient’s arrival at the hospital. “We know that ‘time is brain.’ The faster a patient can get to a certified stroke center, the faster the patient will be diagnosed and treated,” says Jenna Hicks, R.N., director of population health at CMH. “Saving this valuable time is known to decrease complications of a stroke. This certification lets our community know that we have the resources and commitment to provide the best possible stroke care.” QUICK CARE When patients present to CMH with stroke-like symptoms, recognized as BE FAST—balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, time—emergency room staff quickly perform advanced brain imaging and contact CoxHealth, where they are connected with a neurologist. A televideo visit takes place so the neurologist can evaluate the patient in real time. The neurological evaluation helps support timely treatment for optimal patient outcomes. For eligible stroke patients, alteplase (tPA), the clotbusting medication, must be given within a certain treatment window after symptoms begin, so calling 911 immediately upon stroke symptom onset is critical. Through CT angiography and CT perfusion, patients who are eligible for thrombectomy can be rapidly identified and transferred to the most appropriate stroke-certified facility for higher levels of care. “It’s a combination of the right equipment, personnel and training to assess, identify and treat strokes quickly. Achieving certification validates the tremendous effort we have put into this program, ensuring the health and safety of our patients,” Hicks says. According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of death, killing nearly 130,000 people each year, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability. BE FAST TO SPOT A STROKE BALANCE: Having trouble with balance or coordination? EYES: Sudden blurred or double vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes? FACE: Does one side of the face droop when smiling? ARMS: Does one arm drift downward when both arms are raised? SPEECH: Is speech slurred or strange when repeating a simple phrase? TIME: If you see any of these signs, call 911 right away. From left: Chelsea Turner, R.N.; Andrew Nicholes, D.O.; Denise Silva, R.N.; Brian Schnitzer, R.N.; Josie Davis, PCT; Michelle Neal, R.N.; Lisa Higgins, CNA; and Jenna Hicks, R.N. STROKE CARE CMH named area leader in stroke readiness
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