Avera Hospitals Join American Heart Association Program to Enhance Stroke Treatment
Mission: Lifeline Stroke initiative will support quality of care across the full stroke system
Mara Hermiston
Several Avera facilities have committed to participate in Mission: Lifeline® Stroke, a statewide initiative of the American Heart Association to strengthen the full spectrum of stroke care across South Dakota.
Mission: Lifeline Stroke focuses on connecting all components of acute stroke care into a smoothly integrated system that reinforces the use of evidence-based guidelines to timely and effectively treat stroke patients. It brings together hospitals, emergency medical services and first responders, rehabilitation facilities, communications and regulatory agencies, and state and local government to forge a proactive system of stroke care that saves and improves lives.
Mission: Lifeline acute stroke initiative will support both rural and urban hospitals to address gaps in consistent delivery of high-quality stroke care, ensuring all stroke patients in South Dakota have the best possible chance at survival and an independent quality of life.
The Mission: Lifeline Stroke post-acute care initiative expands and enhances guideline-based rehabilitation and recovery care, giving all patients the best chance at independent life after stroke.
Evidence-based rehabilitation and secondary prevention interventions improve recovery after stroke and reduce secondary complications. However, stroke rehabilitation expertise, processes of care and educational resources vary among post-acute care sites. The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, developed quality standards based on its 2016 Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery to bridge these gaps.
“This will be especially impactful in rural South Dakota. Stroke treatment is time-sensitive, so getting patients the proper treatment faster, is crucial,” said Joani Guzman, Program Consultant for the Mission: Lifeline Stroke South Dakota initiative. “So many South Dakotans live in rural areas where access to neurologists is limited to telemedicine. Every minute saved in stroke treatment can directly improve survival and recovery rates.”
Cardiovascular disease, including heart and stroke conditions, is the leading cause of death in the United States. The acute nature of strokes is particularly deadly and requires time-sensitive treatment to save lives and reduce lasting disability. Stroke is a leading cause of death in South Dakota, accounting for 393 deaths in 2022. Many more South Dakotans are living with stroke-related disabilities.
“When it comes to stroke, every second counts,” said Mara Hermiston, DO, Avera Medical Group Chief Medical Officer. “We are committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines, and this initiative will allow our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help individuals who experience stroke recover better.”
For more information on the Mission: Lifeline Stroke project in South Dakota, visit https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/south-dakota/south-dakota-mission-stroke.
The following Avera hospitals will participate in the acute project:
Critical Access Hospitals
Platte Health Center – Avera, Platte, SD
St. Michael’s Hospital – Avera, Tyndall, SD
Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, Mitchell, SD
Community Hospitals
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD
Avera St. Mary’s Hospital, Pierre, SD
Avera St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen, SD
Certified Stroke Centers
Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Sioux Falls, SD
Sites participating in the post-acute project include:
Platte Health Center – Avera, Platte, SD
Wakonda Heritage Manor Avera, Wakonda, SD
Avera McKennan Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, Sioux Falls, SD
St. Michael’s Hospital – Avera, Tyndall, SD
Avera Prince of Peace Retirement Community, Sioux Falls, SD
Avera St. Benedict Health Center, Parkston, SD
Sunset Manor Avera, Irene, SD
Avera Eureka Health Care Center, Eureka, SD