Stroke – DHW Voice

Note: A Closer Look At Your Health airs at 6:50 a.m. most Tuesdays on KBOI News Radio 670. This is the edited transcript from the May 31 segment. Join us next week!

Stroke can happen to people of all ages and backgrounds. In fact, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. The good news is that it is preventable and treatable, especially if you can recognize the signs and get treatment right away.

What is a stroke?

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain (ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). It is the fifth leading cause of death in Idaho and the U.S., and we’re seeing it happen more often to people we wouldn’t expect, like younger people. Continue reading “Act F.A.S.T. if you think someone might be having a stroke” →

Group photo with certificates — From left: Nichole Whitener, Neurology and Research Integrity manager at Saint Alphonsus; Dick Armstrong, director of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare; Jane Spencer, ACNS-BC, Stroke Program coordinator at Saint Alphonsus; Dr. Karen Porth, neurologist at Saint Alphonsus Neuroscience Institute; Dr. Bill Morgan, trauma surgeon and trauma medical director at Saint Alphonsus, as well as chairman of the Time-Sensitive Emergency Council show the certificates touting the designations the hospital has earned.

Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise has become the first hospital in Idaho to be designated by the State of Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency (TSE) Statewide Council as a Level II Stroke Center. Saint Alphonsus has simultaneously received recertification as the region’s only Level II Trauma Center. The designations represent an evidence-based approach to highly organized systems of care in the event of a stroke or traumatic injury. Saint Alphonsus achieved the designations by demonstrating improved patient outcomes, lowered costs, reduced preventable deaths and improved quality of life for patients.

The Time Sensitive Emergency Council is an organization selected by the Idaho Legislature to develop a statewide Time Sensitive Emergency system of care to address three of the top five causes of death in Idaho: trauma, stroke, and heart attack. The Level II Stroke and Trauma designations account for performance in 911 access, response coordination, transport, pre-hospital response, hospital emergency and acute care, rehabilitation, quality improvement, public education and prevention efforts. Idaho’s TSE program has created three designation levels for stroke centers, five levels for trauma centers and two levels for heart attack centers. Continue reading “Saint Alphonsus earns designation as Time Sensitive Emergency Level II Trauma, Stroke Center” →