04/29/10 - 05/29/10
On Wednesday, April 29, the Mercer Health Board of Governors received a report about two new programs that could be potential life savers in certain types of emergencies. Lisa Klenke, Vice President of Patient Care, presented a new initiative that will support the management of stroke patients. She states, "We have entered into an agreement with a group of Neurologists from Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals in Ft. Wayne that will allow us to communicate directly with them when we have a stroke patient either in the Emergency Department or as a patient in the hospital." The new system offered in collaboration with the Stroke Care Now Network will provide a two way communication system that will allow the neurologist to view and diagnose the patient from their offices in Ft. Wayne. Klenke says, "It will allow us to treat patients locally but with the expertise of highly trained and specially certified neurologists. We will be able to begin treatment as soon as a stroke is discovered and to monitor how the treatment is going. This will be a system of advanced stroke management that other hospitals in the area currently do not offer." Also included as part of this cooperative program with Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals in Ft. Wayne is a community education program. Klenke says, "We hope to develop a community education program that will inform the public about how to recognize signs of a stroke at an early stage so that treatment can begin sooner." Another program that could save lives is the result of a special grant that Mercer Health has received from St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, to establish a new program that will decrease the time it takes to begin treatment of a patient suffering a heart attack. Klenke says, "St. Rita's has offered us a new program to detect a STEMI (ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction) in a patient while EMS is treating the patient at the scene." A STEMI occurs when blood flow to the heart is partially or totally blocked by a clot. Detecting a STEMI and intervening as early as possible increases the chances of survival. Klenke says, "This new system will enable EMS personnel to perform a 12 lead EKG on the patient while they are at the scene. The readings are immediately sent to Mercer Health's Emergency Department. Having this ability will allow us to begin early intervention and transfer of the patient if this is needed." The other advantage is that a team can be ready to immediately treat the patient when he/she arrives at the Emergency Department. Klenke also stated that the physician can instruct the EMS personnel to administer medications and other treatments that can help reduce the severity of the STEMI. A 5 year agreement with St. Rita's Medical Center has been signed that will place a receiving station in Mercer Health's Emergency Department. Klenke says, "EKG transferring equipment will available on ambulances throughout the county. The EMS personnel will be trained on the use of the new equipment when it arrives. This new system will positively impact the local treatment of heart attacks." In other business conducted at the Mercer Health Board of Governors meeting, Mercer Health ended their fiscal year on a positive note. For the month of March, income exceeded expenses by $276,125. For the fiscal year that ended in March, Chief Financial Officer Cindy Berning reported that income over expenses was $522,326. |
