Lake Regional Hospital earns Level II Stroke Center designation - Osage Beach MO

I hate these backpatting displays. Nothing in here says the RESULTS were better.
Call the hospital president(Michael E. Henze - Chief Executive Officer) and demand better stroke results than this crap.

Big f*cking whoopee.

You can check out Joint Commission standards here:

 http://www.jointcommission.org/assets 

 I saw absolutely nothing about what should be done the first week or anything about measuring 30-day deaths and 100% recovery.  God, these people are worse than worthless. Complacent good-for-nothings. 

http://www.lakenewsonline.com/article/20150324/NEWS/150329526/1994/NEWS

Time is crucial in stroke treatment. To help emergency medical care response teams provide the best care possible(What about results?) the shortest amount of time, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has identified hospitals across the state that are equipped to provide definitive care to stroke patients. Lake Regional Health System is proud to announce it is one of these hospitals, earning the designation of Level II Stroke Center.

“As a Level II Stroke Center, Lake Regional offers comprehensive stroke care and recovery, including treatment from board-certified neurologists, specially trained Emergency Department physicians and staff, and rehabilitation services,” said Philip Kurle, M.D., a neurologist with Lake Regional Neurology in Osage Beach. “As a result, Lake Regional offers definitive stroke care for acute patients. In addition, rather than having to transfer stroke patients on to another hospital, Lake Regional can receive transfers from other care centers.”

Stroke Treatment at Lake Regional

According to the American Heart Association, someone in the U.S. has a stroke about once every 40 seconds. During a stroke, a blood vessel carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. As a result, part of the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen, destroying valuable nerve cells in the affected area within minutes.

The first hour after the onset of stroke symptoms is often referred to as the “golden hour.” That’s when the clot-buster drug tPA has shown the most benefit to restore blood flow and prevent further cognitive and physical problems. As a Level II Stroke Center, Lake Regional can administer this potentially lifesaving drug.

“If received in time, this drug can reduce the stroke’s permanent effects and make a full recovery more likely,” Dr. Kurle said.

When patients arrive at Lake Regional with a suspected stroke, the Emergency Department immediately calls in a neurologist. Patients receive rapid evaluation, on average seeing an ED physician or neurologist within five minutes of arriving. Next come an emergency CT scan and MRI, to determine whether the problem is insufficient blood flow (ischemic stroke), a ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhage) or some other condition.

In cases of ischemic stroke, the American Stroke Association guidelines call for patients to receive tPA within one hour of arriving at the hospital. Last year, Lake Regional did much better than this goal, averaging just 47 minutes from patient arrival to tPA administration.

“This rapid response is focused on limiting the effects of the stroke as much as possible,” Dr. Kurle said. “The next stage of treatment puts the focus on helping patients recover any losses.”

The Lake Regional nurses and rehab therapists have specialized training in stroke care. All therapy, including physical, occupational and speech therapy, begins on Day 1. Patients are assessed and receive therapies based on their needs.