NEW GLASGOW – Acutely ill stroke patients in Pictou County will be able to receive treatment closer to home thanks to the expansion of six new beds in the Medical/Surgical Unit at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish.
The stroke program is designed to serve residents of Pictou, Guysborough, and Antigonish counties and the Strait area and is expected to treat about 130 stroke patients per year.
Run by the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority, in partnership with the Pictou County Health Authority, the program will ensure a co-ordinated approach to providing acute stroke services. Previously, patients would have to be treated at stroke units in Yarmouth, Kentville, Sydney or Halifax.
While the service is located in Antigonish, the program will include education on stroke prevention and health promotion in both health districts, so that residents can learn what they can do to prevent further incidence of stroke.
“Integrating stroke care in northern Nova Scotia is the best way to provide stroke patients with the quality care they need,” said Pat Lee, chief executive officer of the Pictou County Health Authority.
The Nova Scotia Stroke Strategy was developed for government by Cardiovascular Health Nova Scotia in 2007. The strategy was based on evidence that showed organized stroke care units reduce death and disability for individuals recovering from a stroke. Evidence also showed that a critical mass of patients is required to maintain competencies for high quality care. Critical mass was defined as 100 patients per year, or about six occupied beds per day.
According to Nova Scotia's Integrated Stroke Strategy, stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in Canada. The cost to the Canadian health-care system is estimated at $3 billion annually. Risk factors contributing to stroke include smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, physical inactivity and elevated cholesterol levels. Action is required now to manage the current situation and to reduce the likelihood of the anticipated epidemic.
The stroke service at St. Martha’s Hospital has enhanced rehabilitation staff – physiotherapists and occupational therapists – as well as an additional social worker, clinical dietician and speech language pathologist.
“We believe the stroke services will complement the services in the Guysborough Antigonish Strait and Pictou County Health Authorities. The collaborative team assembled to oversee the service will provide patients with the best acute care, post-stroke care, and provide them with the educational tools to manage their health once they return home,” says Kevin MacDonald, chief executive officer of the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority.