(Pullman, WA) Pullman Regional Hospital has earned Acute Stroke Ready recertification from DNV—an international accrediting body for healthcare organizations. To earn and maintain certification, a hospital must meet or exceed evidence-based standards set forth by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Brain Attack Coalition and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Conditions of Participation. Pullman Regional earned initial certification in 2022 and must recertify yearly. Pullman Regional is the only nationally certified Acute Stroke Ready hospital in the region.
In 2024, Pullman Regional activated a “code stroke” 48 times. Stroke assessment, diagnostic and treatment times documented in 2024 at Pullman Regional were quicker than the time goals set by DNV for Door to Emergency Provider, Door to Stroke Team, Door to CT Scanner, Order to Lab Results and Connection to Telemedicine. Door to Emergency Provider, for example, averaged 4.5 minutes; the time goal set by DNV is less than 10. Door to Stroke Team averaged 1 minute; the time goal is less than 15.
“Responding to a stroke is all about time,” said Stephanie Knewbow, Emergency Department Director, Registered Nurse and Stroke Coordinator for Pullman Regional Hospital, alongside Dr. Aaron Scott, Emergency Medicine Physician and supervising medical doctor for the Stroke Team. “The saying goes, ‘Time is Brain.’ This certification means we’re able to assess our patients, connect with a stroke specialist, neurologist or neurosurgeon, administer thrombolytics (a clot-busting medication)—when prescribed, and admit or stabilize and transfer our patients all within specific windows of time.”
“This is when being a small hospital is a tremendous asset,” said Kim Johnson, Registered Emergency Medicine Nurse and Pullman Regional Hospital stroke educator. “Our CT machine is steps away from our emergency department, and we don’t have to wait to get our patient in for imaging. In minutes, we can be connected to a neurologist who specializes in stroke care so we can proceed with the best treatment to save brain function.”
According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and death. The consequences of stroke are significant; on average, a stroke ages a person by 36 years.
When a ‘Code Stroke’ is implemented at Pullman Regional Hospital, a team of eight immediately responds. Team members include emergency physicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, emergency nurses, intensive care unit nurses, certified nursing assistants, CT technologists, laboratory technicians, and clinical coordinators. Stroke patients account for about 1% of patients seen in Pullman Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department.
“It’s crucial our hospital is best equipped to take fast and effective action for stroke,” said Verna Yockey, Director of the Intensive Care Unit and Medical-Surgical Unit and member of the Pullman Regional Hospital Stroke Team. “When it’s your family member in the ambulance, you want to know your hospital has a dedicated team and proven protocol. When it’s a code stroke, we drop what we’re doing and respond. Team members have a dedicated role and work extremely well together.”
Recognize the symptoms of stroke with BE FAST:
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- B = Balance – Is there sudden loss of balance or coordination?
- E = Eyes – Is there sudden blurred, double or loss of vision?
- F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
- A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred?
- T = Time to call 911
