Carolina Pines Recognizes Local EMS for Demonstrating Exceptional Stroke Care

Edie Campbell, RN, Director of Emergency Services and Ashley Johnson, RN, Stroke Coordinator, awarded Ronald Broach, Paramedic and Ethan Quick, EMT, from Darlington County EMS with brain pins for demonstrating outstanding stroke care.  

Timeliness is essential when it comes to caring for a stroke patient.  This past year, Carolina Pines began recognizing their staff members by presenting them with a brain pin when providing exceptional care to stroke patients. We are excited to announce that we have now had the opportunity to extend our recognition to our local EMS members.

In January, Ronald and Ethan responded to a 911 call for an individual who they believed was experiencing a stroke. Due to their expert assessment skills, the crew confirmed that this patient was in fact showing stroke like symptoms. The EMS team called in their assessments to Carolina Pines’ Emergency Department and were instructed to immediately transport the patient to the CT room upon arrival. EMS quickly transitioned care to Carolina Pines’ nursing and medical staff while the patient was in CT.  Because of early recognition and treatment, the patient received Alteplase, or tPA, within 45 minutes of arrival to Carolina Pines and experienced a full recovery that might not have been possible otherwise.

"Carolina Pines respects and honors our great partnership with local EMS teams, and we look forward to continuning and strengthening that relationship as we work to care for our community and advance our mission of Making Communities Healthier", says Edie Campbell, RN, Director of Emergency Services.

For more information on our Primary Stroke Center designation, visit Carolina Pines Emergency Services. If you or someone you know is experiencing stroke-like symptoms, call 9-1-1.

STROKE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away.

F.A.S.T. is:

Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?

Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?

Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.