Healthy Living Newsletter
New Stroke Treatment Now Available Through Mercy Hospital
 |
| Jere Baldwin, MD, Chief of Mercy Hospital Emergency Services. |
Designed to make specialized stroke care available to patients directly in our community, Mercy Hospital has partnered with a select group of Michigan hospitals in a collaborative venture called the Michigan Stroke Network (MSN).
The MSN will provide a medical lifeline for patients across the state and in the Blue Water Area, via what has been coined “telemedicine”. Through the use of Remote Presence™ robots, the network ensures that Mercy can offer patients the most advanced stroke care available, right when it’s needed most.
“Being a part of the stroke networks allows us to provide a high-tech diagnostic and treatment link between the Mercy Hospital Emergency Room clinicians and stroke specialists at St. Joseph Mercy in Oakland County (SJMO),” comments Jere Baldwin, MD, Chief of Mercy Hospital Emergency Services. “With the new technology available, we’re able to provide innovative and high-tech clinical solutions to the 10 percent of stroke victims who need access to highly-specialized treatment. This instant access was formerly only available in large urban settings.”
SJMO became the first healthcare institution in Michigan to receive Primary Stroke Center Certification by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Through its membership, Mercy now has direct access to SJMO stroke technology and specialists who provide this advanced care.
“A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or bursts,” continues Dr. Baldwin. “The result can be as serious as brain damage or death. Ninety percent of stroke patients can be treated with traditional measures, 10 percent need access to clot-busting medications or a specialized endovascular coil procedure. Prompt treatment is essential to protect brain cells. Through the MSN, Mercy has 24-hour access to neuroendovascular technology and specialists that can mean the difference between life and death for stroke victims.
“Already highly trained in the treatment of stroke patients, clinical staff from the Mercy Emergency Room and on the patient care units will receive additional, specialized training for stroke evaluation and treatment through its membership in the MSN,” concludes Dr. Baldwin, “elevating clinical care for all Blue Water Area emergency stroke patients at Mercy Hospital.”
|
