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MILTON, MA - Milton Hospital has been recognized for the efficiency of its stroke response procedures. The hospital gained Level 1 Recognition Achievement for meeting stroke treatment criteria defined by the American Stroke Association (ASA), in keeping with the ASA's "Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) - Stroke" program. The ASA is a division of the American Heart Association. "GWTG-Stroke" helps ensure continuous quality improvement of acute stroke treatment and ischemic stroke prevention. It emphasizes the importance of establishing team-oriented procedures to treat and discharge stroke patients appropriately. Milton Hospital's stroke response averages 15 minutes "from door to CT scan", 30 minutes quicker than benchmark requirements. Stroke team leader Debra Sullo, RN, BSN, CCRN, director of the intensive care unit, critical care unit and cardiac rehabilitation program, was invited by the ASA to speak at an October conference of hospital clinicians to outline the keys to Milton Hospital's success. Ellen Lanza, RN, CCRN, ICU Clinical Manager and Stroke Team Data Collector and Mary Keady, RN, BSN, ED Clinical Manager presented Milton Hospital's "door to CT scan" process and how it has evolved to quicker response times. "Our success can be attributed to our strong stroke team, who is very committed to the stroke response program," Sullo said. "As a result of our efforts, we are able to quickly identify potential stroke patients in cooperation with ambulance services, and have developed a system that helps quickly mobilize our stroke team." "Patients also benefit from our physical layout and available resources; when seconds count, a shorter trip from the emergency room to a CT scanner to a treatment room can literally save a life," Sullo said. "Finally, without the timely communication between the ED and Radiology staff, achieving these great results would not have been possible." Milton Hospital took its first steps toward this recognition in January 2005 when the Massachusetts Department of Public Health designated the hospital to provide Primary Stroke Services, indicating that the hospital is prepared to rapidly diagnose and treat acute stroke patients. The Primary Stroke Service regulations were developed to provide acute stroke patients with a greater chance of successful treatment. "GWTG-Stroke" identifies hospital staff (known as "champions") to lead, develop and mobilize teams to respond to potential stroke patients. The program also calls for the hospital to measure and evaluate the hospital's stroke response and to report treatment data to the ASA. The hospital's stroke team is now working on the next level of recognition, which requires more stringent compliance with "GWTG-Stroke" guidelines. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. In Massachusetts, 17,799 people were hospitalized with stroke symptoms and 3,557 people died as a result of a stroke in 2002. |
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