On November 4, 2021, Southeast Georgia Health System was recognized for
making significant improvements to local stroke care. That was the day the
Health System’s Brunswick Campus became a certified Advanced Primary
Stroke Center and the
Camden Campus an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, both providing Disease-Specific Care (DSC).
The certifications were awarded by The Joint Commission (TJC), an independent,
not-for-profit organization that accredits health care facilities to ensure
quality and safe care.
These certifications are especially meaningful for the people of Glynn,
Camden and surrounding counties. Living in a “stroke belt”
state like Georgia, residents are 34 percent more likely to experience
a stroke – the leading cause of disability and fifth cause of death
in the U.S.
Reflecting on the importance of these certifications, Paul Trumbull, P.T.,
MBA, director, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Services, said, “The
Joint Commission is one of the world’s most distinguished accreditation
and certification organizations. To achieve Advanced Primary Stroke Center
and Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, DSC certifications, the Health System
met TJC’s rigorous standards for patients experiencing the signs
and symptoms of a stroke. Our team built a program utilizing evidence-based
Clinical Practice Guidelines, which standardize care and ensure excellent
communication between the different areas of our Health System that care
for these patients. Achieving these certifications results in improved
care and better outcomes for our patients.”
This latest milestone was part of a multi-year effort to improve local
stroke care. “Our program began in 2015 when the Health System created
the Stroke Program Coordinator position, now held by registered nurse
Cynthia Gahm. In 2016,
Dr. Phillip Amodeo, a board-certified neurologist on the Health System’s medical staff,
became medical director of the program,” explained Trumbull. “We
developed a multidisciplinary team that created and implemented policies
and protocols that meet Clinical Practice Guidelines published by the
American Heart/American Stroke Association. Team members providing direct
patient care were trained in the protocols. With assistance from our Quality
Department, we analyze and improve the program on an ongoing basis.”
Lecia A. Albright, FNAHQ, director, Quality Management agreed. “Over
the past few years we have worked collaboratively with the leadership
of the Stroke Program and the Stroke Multidisciplinary Team to identify
opportunities for improvement in stroke program processes. Achieving the
certification demonstrates that The Joint Commission recognizes the success
of these initiatives.”
From the earliest stages, the Health System partnered with Baptist Health
Jacksonville’s certified Comprehensive
Stroke Center. Stroke care teams on both hospital campuses began connecting with
Baptist Health stroke specialists through audiovisual telemedicine technology.
The technology guides local stroke teams and expedites patient care. Health
System radiologists also added software to their computed tomography (CT)
scanners to enhance brain imaging, which helps the stroke teams decide
if a patient should be transferred to Baptist Health Jacksonville. “It
also allows patients to receive life-saving/disability-reducing interventional
procedures,” Trumbull said. These steps are crucial. According to
the American Heart Association, people lose about a month of disability-free
living for every 15 minutes that pass between the start of an ischemic
stroke and receiving a clot-busting drug called tPA.
In 2019, the American Heart Association awarded the Health System’s
Stroke Program a Silver Plus award. A Gold Plus award followed in 2021.
In 2020, both hospitals were designated as Remote Treatment Stroke Centers
by the State of Georgia. This designation directs Emergency Management
Services (EMS) personnel to take stroke patients to Health System hospitals
for proper care.
Trumbull said an accomplishment such as this could never be achieved by
a single department. “I want to emphasize what a team effort this
endeavor has been. Attaining these certifications would not have been
possible without the engagement and hard work from medical staff and team
members from across the Health System.”
For more information about the Southeast Georgia Health System Stroke Program, visit
sghs.org/stroke.