Stroke champions help keep Horsham on top

The introduction of stroke champions to Wimmera Base Hospital’s Emergency Department has further elevated Grampians Health Horsham’s outstanding track record in stroke care. 

The Horsham campus was recognised once again at the Australian Stroke Coalition awards ceremony in Hobart, earning a Certificate of Distinction in recognition of the quality of care provided, based on data submitted to the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry. 

The Horsham campus also received a Certificate of Achievement for outstanding performance on case ascertainment, data quality and timeliness of data entry and acknowledgement of significant improvement in rural retrieval times (Horsham to Melbourne) in the 30:60:90 Target Awards. 

Stroke Coordinator at Horsham, Deidre Rennick, said the team continued to rack up awards in stroke care and data collection. 

“Our success is really from an all-round team approach that includes Ambulance Victoria,” Ms Rennick said. 

“We have a good relationship with AV because often they will give advanced warning that they are bringing a stroke patient in and they will already have the IV cannulas in the patient and that makes it quicker for us. 

“We continue to make improvements, and they include our retrieval processes. The Victorian Stroke Telemedicine team assist us in organising a destination for patients going to Melbourne for critical care which makes transferring patient much quicker. 

“I’m one of three stroke coordinators supporting teams in ED, acute and rehabilitation wards and now we have introduced stroke champions.” 

Ms Rennick said the stroke champions were nurses working in ED who could be there during those shifts when a stroke coordinator is not working. 

“These champions are nurses who are taking extra responsibility around stroke care and being our eyes and ears on the ground,” she said. 

“Emma Criddle and Freia Agustin are the first of our appointed champions and we hope to announce more soon. 

“We are going to work with them and upskill them a little bit more so that they can carry on our work when we are not there. 

“Our ED team is already highly capable at stroke care, but this is about trying to get that expertise across all shifts and just having someone there that can feed back to us.” 

Ms Rennick said the importance of managing stroke was the speed in which it was done. 

“We have an emergency pathway that we use that allows us to pick up the paperwork as soon as the patient arrives and it’s all organised, so the forms just have to be signed, making it all very efficient. 

“The stroke coordinator’s role is to make sure the systems are working and that the patients are on the right pathway and having all their tests done, and that staff are liaising between the doctors and the families.” 

Chief Operating Officer Ben Kelly congratulated the Horsham stroke team on their national recognition. 

“Our Ballarat campus also featured in these awards, and it demonstrates how Grampians Health is driving change through collaboration and growing the capacity to deliver services in the region,” Mr Kelly said.