Freeman Continues to Lead the Way in Stroke Care

Joplin, Mo. – Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke – the leading cause of adult disability in the country. A stroke cuts off blood flow in areas of the brain, depriving brain cells of oxygen and causing them to die.¹ When diagnosing a stroke, time is critical to ensure the patient receives expert care that could lead to an improved recovery.

“According to the American Heart Association, every minute in which a large vessel ischemic stroke is untreated, the average patient loses 1.9 million neurons, 13.8 billion synapses and seven miles of axonal fibers,” said Linda Dean, Freeman Director of Accreditation and Clinical Support. “Each hour in which treatment fails to occur, the brain loses as many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging. This is why accurate diagnosis and treatment in the most-timely fashion possible is necessary.”

To provide the optimum outlook for patients, Freeman Health System has partnered with Kansas Region 6 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Council, Quapaw Tribe and the surrounding EMS community to bring Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS) training to the area. Developed by the Michael S. Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education at the University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, this training teaches emergency assessment and management of acute stroke to all levels of healthcare providers, from EMS personnel to hospital and emergency department nurses and physicians.

“It’s a single approach to early stroke identification and intervention to give the patient the best possible outcome,” said Dean. “Common language and the ability to effectively transfer care between EMS crews and physicians is key. The faster we can intervene, the sooner stroke patients can receive comprehensive care that helps them recover and includes therapy, a complete a rehabilitation program and home care or outpatient services which we provide at Freeman face-to-face.” 

ASLS is a new certification comparable to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification which focuses on the early identification and treatment of heart attacks. The ASLS certification includes eight hours of training and must be renewed every two years. From 8:00 am – 5:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday, January 27 and 28, at Downstream Casino Resort, 19 professionals from Freeman and the EMS community will receive ASLS instructor training. Part of the training will include the use of the Miami Emergency Neurologic Deficit (MEND) exam. Originating at the Leonard Miller School of Medicine, the MEND exam is an easy-to-use checklist that provides key information when examining a patient with signs of stroke. It incorporates components of the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale.

“This exam enables emergency workers to assess a patient in only two to three minutes,” said Dean. “This will enable them to fast-track patients with a stroke or suspected stroke into specialist units.”

Once ASLS instructor certification is complete, Freeman plans to offer the training through Freeman Professional Development at Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and various locations in the area.

¹ National Stroke Association® stroke.org/stroke-resources

About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. For 2016, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report ranked Freeman one of the top Hospitals in Southwest Missouri in 2014-15, and The Leapfrog Group gave Freeman the highest grade possible in the Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 60 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart and vascular care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com or facebook.com/freemanhealthsystem or follow Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker at twitter.com/freemanceo.