West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger recently designated as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital in the Stroke System of Care for North Dakota. In order to achieve this distinction, a hospital and its staff must meet strict standards for stroke diagnosis and initial treatment.

The hospital designations under the North Dakota Stroke System of Care are part of a statewide collaboration to define and improve delivery of definitive care for stroke. The Stroke System of Care Task Force was established in North Dakota in 2009. Since then, a group of state health officer appointed members representing many organizations has been working to build an effective and coordinated Stroke System of Care. The system includes hospitals of all sizes, emergency medical services, 911 dispatch, neurologists and other specialty physicians, directors of nursing from Critical Access Hospitals, hospital stroke coordinators, the American Heart Association, the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health, and the North Dakota Department of Health, and elected officials.

The development of the Stroke System of Care has included the infrastructure, standardized protocols and education, data collection, and communication networks necessary for the improvement of health outcomes for stroke patients in North Dakota. The Stroke System of Care will also work with appropriate facilities to improve their ability to provide definitive care for stroke patients.       

There are three levels of stroke capability recognized under the System of Care for North Dakota: Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, Primary Stroke Center, and Comprehensive Stroke Center.

“The greatest chance for recovery is rapid response treatment and we are specially trained to meet the unique needs of the acute stroke patient, explains Terry Anderson, RN, Chief Nursing Officer. “We are constantly striving to enhance the way we deliver care to the residents and visitors of the region.”