MDH Renews Designation as Acute Stroke Ready Hospital

MACOMB, Ill. – Based off the quality data submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), McDonough District Hospital once again met the requirements to be called an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital.

The IDPH identifies hospitals capable of providing emergent stroke care and directing EMS providers to transport possible acute stroke patients to these hospitals. MDH, which continues to exceed the standards set forth, enters its 24th year as part of the larger OSF Stroke Network.

“A stroke ready hospital in the state of Illinois is a designation requiring six (6) quality outcomes to be collected, evaluated, and met or exceeded throughout the year. Those outcomes are submitted to the state for review. Any outcome that doesn’t meet national standards, or changes our department may have implemented to remediate the Quality Assessment shortcoming, is required to be submitted for review as well,” said Director of Emergency Services Stefany Kendrick, RN, BSN. “MDH Emergency Room stroke outcomes have become ingrained in our everyday patient care. With early notification from EMS, “STAT” head CT orders are obtained upon arrival to help rule out chief complaints of a stroke or possible stroke. The communication between entities and departments is always patient-centered, giving the patient the best chance for the best outcome possible.”

MDH’s designation was based on quality outcome metrics, ranging from: result time for door-to-blood coagulation study; completed time for door-to-brain imaging; results time for door-to-brain imaging; time for door-to-thrombolytic therapy, if applicable; and non-emergency department patients transferred out of the hospital for stroke diagnosis.

According to Vice President of Nursing Wanda Foster, RN, MSN, this designation honors MDH’s team approach.

“This has been a multidisciplinary team approach beginning with EMS and continuing into the Emergency Room care setting by providing consistent, evidence based stroke protocol to continually improve our Stroke Alert procedure. This is a tremendous benefit to our community,” said Foster.

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association suggest using the letters in FAST to spot stroke signs and knowing when to call 9-1-1.

- Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb.

- Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb, ask the person to raise both arms.

- Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak or hard to understand.

- Time to call 9-1-1: If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and say, “I think this is a stroke” to help get the person to the hospital immediately.