HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital again approved as stroke-ready hospital
From Illinois Business Journal news services
BELLEVILLE — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Emergent Stroke Ready Hospital Designation by the Illinois Department of Public Health has been continued.
St. Elizabeth’s originally achieved the special designation in July 2014 by implementing emergency stroke care policies and procedures to align with nationally recognized evidence-based standards and criteria, like those from the American Heart/Stroke Association and Brain Attack Coalition.
IDPH reviews stroke designations annually to ensure designated hospitals continue to meet requirements in order to appropriately respond to stroke patients immediately upon arrival.
“We are pleased to see our Emergent Stroke Ready Designation continue,” said Alison Kennedy, BSN, RN and stroke coordinator at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. “St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is fully committed to serving as a Metro East leader in providing high-quality stoke care for the patients we serve.”
Outlined criteria by IDPH to receive the Emergent Stroke Ready Designation includes developing and adhering to written emergency stroke protocols and the ability, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to provide the following:
• thrombolytic therapy (tPA) used to break or dissolve blood clots
• brain image testing (CT scans) and
• blood coagulation studies
St. Elizabeth’s initially qualified to apply for the Emergent Stroke Ready Designation after beginning its Stroke Telemedicine program, in partnership with C30 Stroke Telemedicine Services, in December 2013. The telemedicine services offer real-time access to world class neurologists using an audio and video connection through a telemedicine robot.
Currently all hospitals in the HSHS Southern Illinois Division, including St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland as well as St. Elizabeth’s offer Stroke Telemedicine services for patients suffering from acute stroke symptoms. In the event of a stroke, ‘time is brain’ as patients need to receive possible life saving treatment as soon as possible, which makes the Stroke Telemedicine programs an important resource for our communities.
