HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-07-22, Page 19Wednesday, July 22, 2015 • Huron Expositor 19
Changes coming to regional acute stroke care
Dave Flaherty
Goderich Signal Star
Changes are coming to where
acute stroke patients will receive
treatment in the region.
Through its clinical services
planning initiative, the South
West Local Health Integrated
Network (LHIN) will consoli-
date acute stroke care into four
designated stroke centres (DSC)
across its cover region.
Acute stroke care is currently
being provided at 27 hospitals
across the LHIN.
Through the consolidation,
care currently provided at seven
hospitals located in the Huron -
Perth region, including Alexan-
dra Marine and General Hospi-
tal (AMGH) in Goderich, will be
transferred to the DSC at
Huron -Perth Healthcare Alli-
ance (HPHA) in Stratford. Tele -
stroke services available at
AMGH will continue, meaning
the hospital will no longer admit
stroke patients but will stabilize
the patient and send them to the
DSC in Stratford.
Kelly Gillis, senior director of
system design and integration
with the LHIN, said the changes
are being made with goal of
"achieving the best possible out-
comes after a stroke" and mak-
ing sure "patients are admitted
to a DSC so they can receive
specialized care that best meets
practice guidelines."
Gillis said many of the smaller
hospitals currently providing
acute stroke care treat a very
small number of patients and
having the DSC will allow the
LHIN to concentrate more
resources to providing special-
ized care.
"Having a small hospital get-
ting 10 stroke patients a year
makes it difficult to maintain
those specialized skills," Gillis
said.
The proposed changes were
presented at the June 8 county
council meeting, causing
some concern to council
members.
Goderich Mayor Kevin Morri-
son wondered what support
would be provided to patients
and family members who have
to travel to Stratford.
Gillis said the LHIN would
make sure the proper resources
are available to help stroke vic-
tims when they do return to
their own communities.
South Huron Deputy Mayor
David Frayne asked if inclement
winter weather and possible
closures of local roads such as
Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 21 were con-
sidered and whether smaller
hospitals would be able to care
for a patient until they can be
transported to the DSC.
Gillis said all local hospitals
will still "play a role" in stroke
stroke, noting that if a patient
comes in the ER at their local
hospital, they would be initially
treated at that location and
eventually transported by
ambulance would be sent to
Stratford.
She also told council that they
do not anticipate these changes
to affect funding or staffing at
any hospitals in Huron -Perth.
The LHIN's clinical services
planning initiative has also
addressed vision care and endo-
scopic services.
No changes will be made to
where these services are
available.
Cataract surgery is currently
available at Clinton Public Hos-
pital and endoscopic services
are currently available in Goder-
ich, Clinton and Seaforth.
The clinical services planning
also addressed the future of
complex continuing care and
rehabilitation.
As a result of the HPHA's
Vision 2013, work was under-
taken for the reallocation of
nine rehab beds to Seaforth
Community Hospital and the
overall decrease of six complex
continuing care beds across
HPHA sites.
The planning was handled by
a leadership forum, which con-
sisted of CEOs of 19 hospitals
within the region, the CEO of
the South West Community Care
Access Centre and the South
West LHIN.
Gillis said the announced
changes would be implemented
over a multi-year span from
2015 to 2017.
Council also passed a motion
to form a working relationship
between the county and
regional hospitals.
Karen Davis, CEO and presi-
dent of AMGH had indicated
officials at the Goderich hospi-
tal were interested in working
closer with Huron County.
After some discussion it was
decided it would be beneficial
to work closely with all hospitals
in Huron County.
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