Stroke Program

Cardiovascular Health Program

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Cardiovascular Health Program

Awards are given to EMS stroke programs in Minnesota that implemented the best quality improvement (QI) initiatives in the following categories:

Extraordinary Results: This is an award that celebrates innovation and creativity to achieve extraordinary results and improvement in stroke care.
Commitment to Excellence: This is an award that recognizes commitment to program goals and best practices in providing excellent stroke care.

Lakes Region staff smiling for camera

Award Qualifications

Lake Region EMS received this award for their accomplishments in:

Innovative thinking to bring in technology and training to address gaps in their patient care.

Opportunity for Improvement: Improve stroke metrics and documentation which had been assessed to be below national standards.
Action Plan: The team consisting of the Clinical Manager, Quality Assurance Coordinator, and Education Development Coordinator first identified the issues by reviewing every stroke call and assessing documentation. Changes were made to their documentation program and education was provided to crews to support the QI project.
Results: This approach has improved many stroke metrics significantly including last known well documentation (nearly 100%), blood glucose, and stroke assessment.

Pipestone Ambulance staff posing and smiling in front of ambulance

Award Qualifications

Pipestone County Ambulance received this award for their accomplishments in:

Working collectively with their hospital to improve their care in multiple areas.

Opportunity for Improvement: Pipestone wanted to improve pre-hospital activations of stroke codes and documentation metrics.
Action Plan: EMS and hospital staff worked collectively to review each stroke call in accordance with the protocol and completeness of documentation including documentation of stroke scale, blood glucose, symptoms onset time and other key findings. Each case was reviewed, and outcomes were shared with EMS and hospital staff at meetings. Any cases not meeting new standards were reviewed with the crew on the call and additional training was provided.
Results: Improvements in stroke care and documentation were achieved. Data submitted within their application demonstrates 100% of charts reviewed included complete documentation.

Windom Ambulance staff standing in front of ambulance

Award Qualifications

Windom Ambulance received this award for their accomplishments in:

Opportunity for Improvement: Decrease on-scene time and transfer directly to CT room upon arrival to the hospital.
Action Plan: The ambulance director, EMS medical directors, stroke coordinator, and director of nursing created a QI plan to decrease on-scene time and transfer directly to CT upon arrival to expedite stroke care. They created an updated protocol requiring a scene time of less than 10 min, assessment of the patient using a BE-FAST stroke scale, and pre-notification to the hospital of a potential stroke code. Upon arrival to the hospital, they would then proceed directly to CT instead of stopping in the emergency department. Then they trained the staff and started a PI filter to monitor documentation and reviewed each call.
Results: Windom Ambulance staff are using the feedback received from their hospital partner using the PI filter to refine their stroke care and strengthen their knowledge.