A pair of Florence Fire/EMS Department personnel are being commended for their role in enhancing stroke patients’ chances of survival.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare and the American Heart Association recognized paramedic Lt. Rick Puryear and Firefighter/Paramedic Danielle Eilerman at Tuesday’s Florence City Council meeting.
“We would like to recognize your personnel for the exceptional care and handoff of a patient that led to winning the system-wide door-to-needle challenge for the month of May,” St. Elizabeth Healthcare Clinical Education Specialist Betty McGee said.
The door-to-needle time is the time between hospital arrival and administration of an intravenous medication to treat a stroke, according to the American Hearth Association.
The American Heart Association’s “Target: Stroke” initiative launched in 2010 acknowledges the impact emergency medical services has on the end goal of decreasing delivery time for stroke patients, McGee said.
“Timely response from initial dispatch; rapid identification and transport; pre-hospital notification and effective hand off communication from the field to the hospital are key links in the chain of survival and optimizing stroke outcomes for our patients,” McGee said.
Collaborative partnerships between emergency medical services communities and the health care system, as recognized by the American Heart Association and its national initiative, will allow best practices to be implemented throughout the system of care, McGee said.
McGee presented Puryear and Eilerman with certificates and American Heart Association brain pins to commemorate their role in aiding stroke patient survival.
“We’re fortunate to have the men and women standing here and the their colleagues elsewhere taking care of our citizens,” Councilman Mel Carroll said. “You all respond so quickly, promptly and professionally. We appreciate that very much.”
EMS personnel that critically think about handing off key information will enhance the decision-making process once the patient arrives at the emergency department, McGee said.