Bluewater Health has gained national recognition for its stroke care after being accredited with "Distinction in Stroke Services" for 2022 to 2026.
Director of Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Paula Gilmore said the prestigious award from Accreditation Canada is a testament to the teamwork that takes place as Bluewater Health's stroke team works with various partners such as EMS and recovery associations.
"This is an outstanding achievement and we should all be really proud," she said.
The survey team with Accreditation Canada toured the departments and units that support stroke services at Bluewater Health, as well as the Regional Stroke Centre at London Health Sciences Centre. Gilmore said the hospital was judged in two areas, acute and rehabilitative stroke services.
"It really recognizes the hospital for providing high-quality stroke care and ensuring the patients and families who access Bluewater Health, with the diagnosis of stroke or threatened with stroke, that they are going to achieve and receive the best outcomes possible, given that we're following evidence-based best practices."
Bluewater Health was one of nine stroke centres within the Southwestern Ontario Stroke Network that applied for the award.
Bluewater Health received its designation as a stroke centre in 2003. Since then, Gilmore said improvements have continuously been made as standards change.
“When my mother was admitted for a stroke back in November, she was in bad shape and our family feared the worst,” said Dan Byelis in a statement. “What I have seen during my mother’s stroke recovery process at Bluewater Health – the very personal approach to care – has been nothing short of remarkable. We cannot believe how much progress she has made during her stay – something we could have never imagined was possible when she was first admitted.”
In 2021-2022, Bluewater Health had 1,039 patient visits to the Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic and admitted 171 patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack to the acute stroke unit. Of those patients, 95 required inpatient rehabilitation.
Gilmore said the common systems of stroke include a sudden onset of drooping face, blurring vision, an inability to raise both arms, and slurred and/or jumbled speech.
She said it's imperative for anyone experiencing or witnessing these symptoms to call 911.
"Do not drive to the emergency department because not every hospital is a designated stroke centre and so our EMS partners are trained in how to identify if someone is having a potential stroke and will direct you to the appropriate hospital," said Gilmore.
