Wednesday, May 28, 2003

SFMC participates in stroke test program

South Fulton Medical Center (SFMC) is participating in the American Stroke Association's "Get With The Guidelines Stroke" program. The goal of the program is to improve the overall quality of care for stroke patients by improving acute stroke treatment and preventing future strokes and cardiovascular events.

South Fulton joins more than 70 hospitals throughout the country that volunteered to participate in the Beta pilot test of the "Get With The Guidelines ­ Stroke" program. The Beta pilot allows further refinement of the program, given the diverse models of stroke care across the country. Pending these pilot results, the program is tentatively scheduled to launch nationally in the spring of 2004.

Dr. LaRoy Penix, a SFMC neurologist, serves as the Medical Director of the Stroke Unit. His leadership has been invaluable in providing guidance and direction for this program.

As a "Get With The Guidelines ­ Stroke" participant, SFMC has been encouraged to develop a comprehensive system for providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke when patients are admitted to the emergency department. This includes being equipped 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide brain imaging scans, making neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

South Fulton Medical Center is also increasing its efforts to prevent secondary strokes through the aggressive use of medications such as statins and anti-platelets as indicated in the secondary stroke prevention guidelines. Other methods include the treatment of atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis and management of smoking cessation, weight, exercise, diabetes, and cholesterol.

Through "Get With The Guidelines ­ Stroke," the American Stroke Association provides SFMC training and staffing recommendations, care maps, discharge protocols, standing orders, data-collection and measurement tools. The program also facilitates creating and sharing best practices among participating hospitals.

The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population. Each year, about 700,000 people suffer a stroke 500,000 are first attacks and 200,000 are recurrent. Of stroke survivors, 22 percent of men and 25 percent of women die within a year, and for those aged 65 and older, the percentage is even higher. In 1998, $3.6 billion was paid to Medicare beneficiaries discharged from short-stay hospitals for stroke.

South Fulton Medical Center, a 392-bed acute care hospital has been affiliated with the Tenet Healthcare Corporation since April of 2001, when it joined four other hospitals that comprise Tenet's greater Atlanta network. In addition to emergency care, the hospital offers cardiac care, physical and occupational rehabilitation, inpatient oncology, ambulatory surgery and labor and delivery. The hospital also has a level two neonatal intensive care unit. For more information on South Fulton Medical Center, go to www.southfultonmedicalcenter.com.

The American Stroke Association offers a wide array of programs, products and services, from patient education materials to scientific statements with cutting-edge information for healthcare professionals. The organization is committed to remaining the leader in providing credible stroke information to individuals and healthcare providers. For more information about the American Stroke Association or its initiatives, visit StrokeAssociation.org or call 1-888-4-STROKE. For more information about "Get With The Guidelines ­ Stroke," e-mail us at guidelineinfo@heart.org.