When time is of the essence, effective communication between first responders and hospital staff becomes vital. Last week, a collaborative training exercise was held at Morrow County EMS headquarters involving OhioHealth Morrow County Hospital nurses and Morrow County EMS workers. The session was led by the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit.
Morrow County Hospital President Mike Hyek emphasized the importance of teamwork in patient care: “The different agencies that are involved in taking care of patients are getting together to talk about how we work together as a team, versus what is each of us doing separately,” he stated. “Because how we work together is critical for the best outcome for the patient.”
The focus of this exercise was on stroke-related medical emergencies. Educators and paramedics from the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit provided guidance on recognizing and assessing strokes and appropriate intervention techniques.
“Stroke affects no one more,” said Nate Jennings, Manager of the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit. “It’s the leading cause of disability across the country. And so, we know that when people face stroke events, they need to be able to reach an emergency department very quickly to get the life-saving medications that have been tested and true.”
Participants spent part of their afternoon running through stroke scenarios—assessing patients on-site before transferring them to hospital care. During one scenario, a paramedic reported to a nurse: “No previous history of stroke... LAMS score is 4. Patient is not on any blood thinners.”
Currently, the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit does not operate in Morrow County; however, Jennings indicated potential future expansion: “We’re always thinking about where to take something that is really proven to be effective in managing strokes for our patients into new regions,” he said.