Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Euclid - (Page 3)

A team approach If you or your loved one has a stroke, Euclid Hospital can provide great care from start to finish—beginning in the emergency department and progressing through a hospital stay and rehabilitation. Certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the hospital complies with national standards and meets meticulous guidelines that significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients. Developing a winning strategy for the stroke patient place that will help them achieve optimal functionality,” says Nathaniel Dore, BSN, RN, clinical nurse manager. What to expect A patient generally spends two to three days in the telemetry unit. During that time, the patient is assessed and seen by in-house physical, occupational and speech therapists if necessary. Any needed follow-up tests, including CT or MRI scans, are completed prior to discharge. All nurses who work on the 25-bed telemetry unit have received advanced training to work with stroke patients; they are all certified to measure and monitor the severity of a patient’s stroke using the National Institutes of Health’s stroke scale. neurologist and stroke coordinator Sheila rubin, md, and nathaniel dore, BSn, rn, clinical nurse manager, discuss the next steps in their care plan for a stroke patient. coordinated care Neurologist Sheila Rubin, MD, is Euclid’s stroke coordinator. Dr. Rubin, or another Cleveland Clinic neurologist at Euclid Hospital, is informed every time a patient arrives in the emergency department with stroke symptoms or there is a stroke code within the hospital. “This provides our stroke patients with a quality continuum of care from the time they enter the emergency department to the time they are discharged,” Dr. Rubin says. To ensure seamless care, the stroke team develops a comprehensive care plan customized to each stroke patient’s individual needs. If a patient arrives at the hospital within four and a half hours from the onset of stroke symptoms, they are treated with tPA (a clot-busting drug) in the Intensive Care Unit, and then sent to a telemetry unit for continued care. Otherwise, stroke patients are admitted directly to a telemetry unit for care. In a hospital telemetry unit, every patient receives continuous electronic monitoring for heart rate, heart rhythm, breathing and other cardiac metrics. In addition, Euclid Hospital’s ninth-floor telemetry unit is certified by The Joint Commission for excellence in stroke care. Image by Willie McAllister individualized assessments When a stroke patient arrives in the unit, he or she is assessed for swallowing dysfunction (dysphagia). A nurse also assesses the patient’s safety issues and, along with the physician, reviews the care plan for physical, occupational or speech therapy needs. “We carefully evaluate our patient’s physical condition and individual needs. We then work with case management and the patient’s family members to put a plan into euclidhoSpital.org (free kit) Free StroKe inFo Kit you never know when a stroke may strike. to learn more about strokes or to request a free stroke information kit, visit euclidhospital.org/stroke. health eSSentialS 3 http://www.euclidhospital.org/stroke http://www.EUCLIDHOSPITAL.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Euclid

Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Euclid
Contents
A message from the president of Euclid Hospital
A team approach for stroke care
Healing hand injuries
Classes and screenings to help you stay healthy

Health Essentials - Summer 2011 - Euclid