AVERA WESKOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL MONTHLY COLUMN
When stroke happens, minutes matter. Similar to how a heart attack blocks blood flow to the heart, a stroke happens when a clot or broken blood vessel stops or limits blood flow to the brain – a brain attack.
The American Heart Association reports that for every minute during an untreated stroke, 1.9 million brain cells are lost.
To remember signs of a stroke, think BE FAST: B: Sudden Balance lost E: Sudden Eyesight loss F: Face drooping A: Arm weakness S: Speech difficulty T: Time to call 911 Mission: Lifeline Stroke was launched in 2024 by the American Heart Association to strengthen the full spectrum of stroke care across South Dakota.
Mission: Lifeline Stroke focuses on connecting all components of 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.
Several hospitals in South Dakota have been named as participating sites, including Avera hospitals in Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Yankton, Aberdeen, Pierre, Tyndall and Platte, SD. In addition, all hospitals, including ours, support a coordinated approach to stroke care and do our part to ensure patients receive the right care protocols.
Mission: Lifeline supports 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.
Creating more continuity in stroke care will be especially impactful in rural South Dakota, because getting someone to the proper level of care as quickly as possible is crucial for the best possible stroke outcomes. And for a serious condition like stroke, our local hospital benefits from the strength of a larger health system, with expertise that’s immediately available via telemedicine. Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls is certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Regardless of where someone lives, whenever there are signs of a possible stroke (see BE FAST above), we want them to call 911 and get to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible. We don’t advise that anyone wait to see if symptoms get worse, or to go by car to the city.
In the local emergency room, you would receive initial diagnostic imaging in the CT scanner plus effective medications for fast intervention.
If a higher level of care is needed, a confirmed stroke patient may be transported by ground ambulance or Careflight to receive additional treatment, whether that’s a medication regimen or an interventional neuroendovascular procedure, as well as ICU care and rehab.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in our state and nation. In South Dakota, stroke accounted for 416 deaths in 2024, and many more are living with stroke-related disabilities.
That’s why South Dakota hospitals like ours are committed to improving patient care according to the latest treatment guidelines.
Like many health conditions, prevention is the best cure. Talk to your primary care provider at your yearly checkup to see what you can do to reduce your risk of stroke, including getting high blood pressure and diabetes under control.