Timmins, ON – June is Stroke Month in the province of Ontario and it coincides with the release of the annual stroke report cards by the Ontario Stroke Network. The report cards are critical in measuring performance and driving improvements in access to best practices, resulting in improved patient and health system outcomes at the LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) level.
The 2015/16 stroke report card showed significant improvement in 14 indicators in the province. One of these indicators is the mortality rate due to stroke which has gone down from 11.7 in 2015 to 10.6 in 2016, almost a 10 percent decrease. This translates to more than 60 fewer deaths due to stroke in the province annually.
Improvements on the stroke report card were also noted in the 4 North East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN) stroke centres. In particular, improvements were noted in access to diagnostic imaging for stroke, the number of Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) visits provided to stroke patients on discharge from inpatient acute care or inpatient rehabilitation, and reduced mortality rates from a stroke.
The Timmins and District Hospital is one of 4 district and regional stroke centres in the North East and provides stroke services to inpatients and outpatients from across the district. Quality improvement efforts have resulted in successes in improved “door-to-needle” times for patients receiving the clot-busting drug tPA and increased number of patients that received the drug; increased intensity of inpatient rehabilitation services; and opening of the Integrated Stroke Unit. The 4-bed integrated stroke unit opened in April 2016. Stroke unit care is known to be correlated with reduced complications secondary to stroke and reduced rates for mortality and morbidity.
The significant progress made towards improved outcomes for people who have experienced stroke in our community and district is a direct result of the effort and dedication of the multi-disciplinary team at TADH and community hospitals, as well as collaboration with partners such as EMS and the March of Dimes Stroke Navigation and Community Re-Integration Program. “It is important to acknowledge progress but it is critical to continue improving stroke care as it’s a leading cause of death and disability in our province”, said Carla Dolanjski, District Stroke Coordinator, Timmins and District Hospital.
The vision of the Ontario Stroke Network is “Fewer Strokes, Better Outcomes”; this remains the focus of ongoing efforts of the stroke program.
The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) is a level C, fully accredited community, referral and teaching hospital serving the residents of the City of Timmins and Cochrane District as well as the adjoining areas of the Temiskaming, Sudbury and Algoma districts. The hospital offers a full range of medical, surgical, critical care, maternity, newborn, pediatric, long-term care, mental health and diagnostic imaging services.
For more information contact:
Quinn Thomson
Timmins and District Hospital
705-267-6331
qthomson@tadh.com
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