While much of the energy and activity evolves around the 25-bed unit on the hospital’s ninth floor, the St. John Stroke Center encompasses a variety of departments throughout the medical center. One of the main purposes of the center is to incorporate specialties such as neurology, radiology, surgical and emergency services, all working together to provide a continuum of care to the patient.
“Our process begins as soon as the patient hits the door,” said Dr. Anna Wanahta, medical director of the Stroke Center.
“Overall, the goal is to provide care to the patient from start to finish,” added Lindsay Swindell, a physician assistant of the unit.
Opened in 2007 as a 10-bed unit, the St. John Stroke Center was the first Joint Commission accredited stroke center in Northeastern Oklahoma. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations in the United States, with the accreditation and certification being nationally recognized.
With strokes, time is of the essence. Wanahta said the national standard is to begin providing treatment to the patient within an hour. There is a three-hour window to minimize damage, but the sooner treatment begins, the less damage will typically occur.
To help ensure the patient is treated as quickly as possible, communication typically begins before the individual is loaded into the ambulance. Wanahta said this allows for the numerous teams to begin preparing and assessing the situation as a way to ensure a proper level of care before the patient ever enters the emergency room.
And once the patient is stabilized and ready for transfer to the ninth floor, the wheels on a plan of care are already well in motion.
“As soon as the patient comes onto the unit, the nurses are already working on and updating the plan of care,” said Wanahta.
The unit’s 25 private rooms are staffed by registered nurses who trained to give comprehensive care.
“They go through a vigorous orientation period,” said Justin Cole, RN nurse manager. “One of the benefits is we can reduce the length of stay. The nurses and staff are used to dealing with stroke patients and can pick up on things that may need additional interaction.”
Education can be one of the strongest weapons against strokes, whether it’s as part of the prevention or dealing with the effects following a stroke. That’s why St. John Medical Center education department offers plenty of public seminars on preventing strokes, and the Stroke Center personnel work closely with the patient and family members on dealing with the effects, and preventing future events.
“The good thing — as well as the bad thing — about strokes is it is painless,” said Dr. David Gilbert. “You can’t talk or move, but there is no pain. That’s why it’s so important for people to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke.”
