American Heart Association Recognizes Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center for Treating Stroke Patients Quickly
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center recently earned recognition by the American Heart Association (AHA). The hospital received the 2021 Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus award for its commitment to providing the highest quality of stroke care and treating patients quickly when time is of the essence.
During a stroke, every minute counts, as Napa Valley chef Paul Lemieux experienced in September of 2020. When he was driving home from work, his vision became distorted. He pulled over, looked in the mirror and realized he couldn’t smile. After a few attempts, he was able to call 9-1-1. An ambulance took him to Queen of the Valley for a CT scan and within 18 minutes of arriving at the hospital, he was administered tPA, a medication used to break up blood clots. The medicine worked quickly, and he was able to go home within a few days (read more about his story here).
“I feel really lucky that the Queen’s Stroke Center was so close and am really thankful to the nurses and doctors for their care,” said Lemieux.
More than 300 stroke patients come to Queen of the Valley for treatment every year. Fast treatment can lessen the brain damage that stroke can cause. In fact, with an acute ischemic stroke, like Paul’s, the optimal treatment window is less than three and a half hours. The Queen was listed on the AHA’s Target Stroke Elite Plus Honor Roll for treating patients with thrombolytic therapy (such as tPA) within 45 minutes 75 percent of the time and within 30 minutes, 50 percent of the time.
“I am incredibly proud of our caregivers for exceeding these nationally accepted, evidence-based standards,” said Terry Wooten, chief executive at Queen of the Valley. “Our caregivers are committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care to our patients each and every day.”
By knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke, and getting to the hospital quickly, you can take quick action and perhaps save a life—maybe even your own. If you think someone may be having a stroke, B.E.F.A.S.T. and do the following simple test:
B – Balance: Watch for sudden loss of balance
E – Eyes: Check for vision loss
F – Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A – Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downwards?
S – Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
T – Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.
Individuals diagnosed with diabetes who have too much sugar in their blood can be more likely to have a stroke, and the hospital was also listed on the Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll for maintaining 90% compliance for the treatment and therapeutic lifestyle change recommendations in patients with a new onset or previous history of diabetes. To learn more about stroke care at our hospital, visit providence.org. To learn more about the AHA and tips to reduce your risk for stroke, visit heart.org.
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