Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 11:00 PM

Marshall Medical recognized on “Best Hospitals” list for excellence in stroke care

Hospital recognized for life-saving care including teleneurology, which is making a difference for local stroke victims.

Marshall Medical Centers has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the life-saving care it provides stroke sufferers.

Marshall Medical - already a Silver+ award winner in stroke care – is included in a list of award-winning hospitals published in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" issue.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association strives to ensure that everyone who has heart disease or a stroke receives treatment at a hospital with the resources necessary to correctly make time-critical decisions. This recognition demonstrates Marshall Medical's high commitment to following the procedures outlined in a national program known as “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke," proven to improve patient outcomes. 

A local example of the life-saving stroke care making a difference was a man who came to Marshall North ER in June with weakness and impaired speech. Tests showed the patient to be a candidate for teleneurology and possible tPA – a clot busting medication. Through the teleneurology system – which links rural hospitals with a neurologist at Huntsville Hospital using a computer monitor – the medical team determined tPA should be administered. The patient received the drug and, after close monitoring, was transferred to Huntsville Hospital.

The patient recovered from the stroke with limited damage resulting in a limp and nerve damage in one hand, but he is able to walk 2-3 miles several times a week. He attributes his successful outcome to having received tPA through access to the teleneurology system. He is thankful to the emergency physician, Dr. Gregory Driskell, for the critical care he received. 

The Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program was developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association to help healthcare professionals align stroke care with the most up-to-date scientific treatment guidelines. Stroke treatment guidelines include aggressive therapies and medications that can help improve patient care and outcomes. Hospitals must follow these measures at a set level for a designated period of time to be eligible for achievement awards. 

"We know how valuable guideline-driven care is to our stroke patients," said Teresa Guess, Vice President, Quality and Clinical Information. "Everyone at our hospital is proud to be recognized for our efforts and is appreciative of the support and tools provided through Get With The Guidelines."

Marshall Medical’s Stroke Network team includes the physicians and staff of the ED who are the first line of treatment once a patient enters the ED with stroke symptoms.  Alongside them are Stroke Coordinator Ken Atchison, and Quality Data Analyst-RN Allison Trammell who work to promote the evidence-based guidelines and assist the ED to ensure they are familiar with any new updates. This team’s effort in promoting evidence-based guidelines and providing the very best treatment possible to patients coming in to the ED is worthy of recognition.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s website, numerous published studies demonstrate the Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke program’s success in improving patient outcomes. Since it started in 2003, more than 2,000 hospitals have entered more than 5 million patient records into the Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke database. 

You can read more on telemedicine at Marshall Medical here - https://www.mmcenters.com/serv...