CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta earns national recognition for stroke, heart care

CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta has been recognized by the American Heart Association for exceptional care for stroke and heart attack patients.

“These awards validate the high-quality care that we provide and recognizes the collaboration we have with our EMS partners and larger facilities,” said Heather Biddy, stroke, trauma and chest pain coordinator at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta. “As the only hospital in Cass County, we have a responsibility to our community to provide the care they need, when they need it.” CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta received awards as a rural facility for both stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD) in their first year of eligibility. Those awards focus on the care provided in the emergency department before patients are transferred to larger facilities.

The hospital received Get With The Guidelines silver rural stroke recognition, bronze rural coronary artery disease recognition, and silver plus coronary artery disease referring center recognition. The coronary artery disease referring center award focuses on rapid recognition and transfer of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a specific type of heart attack. The rural bronze award recognizes hospitals for their heart attack care excellence based on treatment provided and expert consultation in addition to rapid identification and transfer.

Biddy said that early heart attack care (EHAC) education promotes awareness that all heart attacks have beginnings. Early warning sign of a heart attack include chest discomfort, chest pressure, chest ache, chest burning, chest fullness, weakness, sweating, nausea, dizziness.

The silver award for rural stroke recognizes hospitals for their stroke care excellence based on a host of criteria, including timely patient transfers, assessment documentation, expert consultation, and communication.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke and that every 3 minutes and 14 seconds, someone dies of stroke.

Biddy said the best way to recognize a stroke is the acronym: BEFAST:

• B: Balance – Is there a sudden loss of balance or coordination?
• E: Eyes – Is there sudden blurred or double vision?
• F: Face – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
• A: Arm – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S: Speech – Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
• T: Time – If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately, as time is very important.

“Your readiness to spot stroke and/or heart attack warning signs and call 911 could save a life or make the difference between a full recovery and long-term disability,” Biddy said. “The key is to get help as quickly as possible, so that we can do our jobs and get you on track to that full recovery.”