CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta has been recertified by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a Level III Stroke Center.
Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every four minutes. Approximately 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
"This Level III Stroke redesignation with the State of Texas reiterates CHRISTUS' commitment to offering excellent clinical services to our area, being prepared and ensuring our area receives top-notch stroke care," said Micah Johnson, administrator/chief nursing officer at St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta. "In stroke care 'time is brain,' which means being able to respond quickly and skillfully is paramount to saving lives."
St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta has a specialized stroke team composed of stroke-certified registered nurses and ER physicians and featuring 24/7 CT, lab, teleneurology services and tPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) "clot buster" capabilities.
"The endless hours that our teams have spent working to ensure our care is high quality, and the professionalism that was displayed by every associate, nurse, advanced practice provider and physician throughout the year has been very impressive," said Nicole Fant, RN program manager for trauma/stroke and chest pain coordinator at St. Michael Hospital-Atlanta.
"The team's commitment to training, to our transport plans, to communication is all focused on making sure our patients get the treatment they need as quickly as possible."