While several states are in whats called the stroke belt, the Coastal Plain is considered the buckle.
Lenoir Memorial Hospital has received a $282,898 grant to take steps to become a designated primary stroke center, complete with robotic technology.
The Duke Endowment grant will be used to develop a comprehensive program that will stabilize and treat stroke patients, including initial acute care.
The program will include prevention, treatment and post-care follow-up.
Time is a crucial factor in being able to treat stroke patients successfully, said Constance Hengel, LMHs director of Community Programming and Development.
Death rates from stroke in Eastern North Carolina are among the highest in the state and nation so better stroke outcomes are the goal in this intervention, she said. Rapid recognition of stroke and reduction of time from event to treatment will be a major focus in the project. Time is brain and every minute counts for someone having a stroke.
Hengel said the grant will allow the hospital to approach strokes in a different way, work collaboratively with state and community partners and participate in statewide databases to connect with resources and measure success.
Funding will also provide the use of a telestroke robot which will remotely connect hospital staff with a neurological physician with stroke expertise 24 hours a day. The physician will be able to remotely drive the robot and interact with the emergency doctor or other staff, as well as the patient.
Lenoir Memorial CEO Gary Black said the three-year project will culminate in a Joint Commission assessment for the primary stroke center designation.
Through stroke protocols, offering telestroke with stroke neuro expertise to support our physicians in treatment decisions, and aligning with regional resources, we should improve patient outcomes for better quality of life for our residents, he said.
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LMH receives $282,898 grant for stroke technology