Coastal Healthcare Connect
Vol. 01 No. 03 | May 2019
Awareness, Fast Action Ensure Better Outcomes for Stroke Victims When it comes to strokes, time is very important. Patients who arrive at the hospital quickly after the first signs of a stroke have the best chance of recovering with little if any long-term loss of function. After 60 minutes, the chance of permanent damage to brain function and motor skills increases. “That’s why it’s important to know the signs of stroke,” says Eileen Hawkins, RN, MSN, CNRN, coordinator of the stroke program at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport. “As soon as a symptom presents itself, act fast. Call 911. There are treatments for the most common type of stroke but it is very important that you seek treatment immediately.” Hawkins’ message comes at the onset of Stroke Awareness Month, recognized nationally every May since 1989 when President George H.W. Bush established it by proclamation.
Know the Signs Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or ruptures. When that happens, a part of the brain cannot get the blood it needs. If deprived of blood long enough, that part of the brain begins to die. Hawkins said the signs of stroke include: • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. • Sudden trouble seeing with one or both eyes. • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance and coordination. • Sudden severe headache with no known cause. “Don’t ignore these signs,” Hawkins says. “Sometimes people develop one or more of these symptoms and say, ‘Maybe I’ll feel better if I lay down for a while.’ Don’t! If one of these symptoms presents itself, call 911 immediately.”
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Stroke awareness continued... Pen Bay Medical Center is a certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center. The commission awards this distinction to hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke. PBMC has also received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, which recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
Prevention works The best course of action is to prevent a stroke from happening in the first place. In fact, the American Stroke Association (ASA) says that a few changes in lifestyle could prevent approximately 80 percent of strokes. “Certainly some risk factors are out of your control, like age, race and family history,” says Hawkins. “But other risk factors like smoking and weight are in your control.
Knox & Waldo County Residents Report Scammers Spoofing PBMC, WCGH Phone Numbers
“For example, high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for stroke, can be controlled by eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and taking prescribed medications. Talk to your doctor, make a plan and stick to it.” To prevent stroke, the ASA recommends that everyone:
Telephone scammers have been targeting Knox and Waldo County residents. The scammers “spoof” the telephone numbers of the hospitals so that it appears on caller ID and makes it look like the call is coming from PBMC or WCGH.
• Manage blood pressure. • Control cholesterol. • Reduce blood sugar.
The scammers often pretend they are selling medical equipment or insurance in an attempt to get people to reveal confidential or sensitive financial information and credit card numbers. “We have been contacted by frustrated members of the public who say they have received these calls repeatedly,” said Regional Chief Information Officer Jacob Fongemie.
• Live an active lifestyle. • Eat a healthier diet. • Shed excess body fat. • Stop smoking. “Prevention is best but it can never eliminate all the risk,” Hawkins said. “So be sure you know the signs of a stroke and call 911 immediately if you suspect that you or someone you know is having a stroke.”
“Unfortunately, there is little we can do to prevent criminals from spoofing our telephone numbers,” he said. “However, the hospitals would never request confidential information, credit card numbers or banking information over the telephone.”
For more information about stroke and stroke prevention, go to the websites of the American Stroke Association at www.strokeassociation.org and the National Stroke Association at www.stroke.org.
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C O A S T A L COLLEAGUE H E A L T HRECOGNITION CA R E CO N N E C T
Brandy Colson, RN Cancer Care PBMC Daisy Honoree
Kathleen Higgins, RN Recovery Room WCGH Daisy Honoree
Christina Matson, MA Pen Bay Family Medicine PBMC Standing Ovation
Lisa Manley, PT, DPT Pen Bay Pediatric PTOT PBMC Standing Ovation
Meredith Perry, RN ASU/PACU PBMC Standing Ovation
Kristie Bourkas Fiscal Services WCGH Smart Ducky
Karen-Sue Batty, RN Pen Bay Podiatry PBMC Smart Ducky
Rod Hall Grounds Tech WCGH Standing Ovation
Stacey Hall, MA Care Coordinator WCGH Standing Ovation
Rebecca Martineau Environmental Services WCGH Standing Ovation
Not pictured: PBMC Sunshine Award winner Marie Chadwick and WCGH Sunshine Award winner Karagan Blood
DAISY Foundation Visit In honor of Nurses Week, the DAISY Foundation’s president and CEO, Bonnie Barnes, and the chairman of the foundation, Mark Barnes, visited PBMC and WCGH. The DAISY award is presented by the DAISY Foundation in recognition of the exceptional care nurses provide and in the memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from a rare disease in 1999. A group of DAISY honorees and nominees and members of administration joined the celebration honoring the work nurses do every day.
Upper photo: Waldo County General Hospital Lower photo: Pen Bay Medical Center
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Spoofers scamming continued Please note: • These calls are not from PBMC, WCGH or MaineHealth. • Hospital representatives will only reach out to our patients for information related to a scheduled or previous service. In such instances, the hospital representative will identify themselves by name, organization and reason for the call. PBMC and WCGH do not use automated calls for billing.
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Coastal Healthcare Alliance 118 Northport Ave | P.O. Box 287 | Belfast, Maine 04915
• Suspicious calls can be reported through your service provider to the Maine Public Utilities Commission and/or the Federal Communications Commission.
WCGH recently celebrated the lives of four siblings who have come to be known simply as The Gelo Sisters in recognition of their years of service to the WCGH community. Priscilla Gelo Place, Elaine Gelo Perkins, Nancy Gelo Drinkwater and Phyllis Gelo Perkins worked at the hospital for a combined 169 years. And the tradition continues. Two of Nancy’s daughters work at WCGH, including Gail Dudley, director of perioperative services, and Linda Drinkwater, chief financial officer for PBMC and WCGH. The celebration included the dedication of a plaque honoring the sisters. Above, the Gelo sisters’ only surviving siblings, Carol Gelo Robbins and Bruce Gelo, stand next to the plaque, which is now displayed in the emergency department.
Address service requested
• If you receive a suspicious call - hang up immediately.
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