MAY 2016
THE BEAT West Tennessee Heart & Vascular Center Newsletter
West Tennessee Healthcare announced James Ross as Interim President & Chief Executive Officer James Ross began his career with West Tennessee Healthcare in 1985 as a Registered Nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. He has held various positions throughout his career including Critical Care Coordinator, Cardiac Services Manager, Director of CCU, Administrator of the West Tennessee Surgery Center, Executive Director of Physician Services, Director of Case Management/Social Services as well as Vice President of Hospital Services. In 2009, Ross was named Chief Operating Officer for Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Mr. Ross earned an Associate of Science degree from Jackson State Community College. He then attended Union University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. James obtained his Master of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is a Licensed Registered Nurse and a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator as well as an Emergency Medical Technician by the State of Tennessee. James is very active in the community by serving on the Board for the West Tennessee Council for Boy Scouts of America, Jackson Airport Authority, EMS Board for State of Tennessee, Union University Foundation, and he is the Second Vice Chairman on the Jackson Chamber Board of Directors. JR and his wife Cindy have two children, Ashley and Kelsey and two grandchildren, Weston and Maddie Kate.
West Tennessee Heart & Vascular was the presenting sponsor for The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women event that was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center on Tuesday, April 5, 2016
New Era for Acute Stroke Therapy The F.A.S.T. Acronym Was Developed To Help Recognize A Stroke And What To Do If It Occurs:
F A S T
ace Drooping Does one side of your face droop or is it numb? Does your smile look uneven?
rm Weakness Is one arm weak or numb? Does your arm drift downward when you raise it?
peech Difficulty Is your speech slurred? Are you unable to speak? Is it hard to repeat a sentence someone dictates to you?
ime to call 911 If you answer yes to any of the above questions, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get to the hospital immediately.
Source: www.stroke.org
Every 40 seconds, someone has a
suffered a hemorrhagic stroke.
stroke; every four minutes, someone
Because of the limitations of
dies from a stroke. Stroke is the
intravenous tPA therapy, additional
leading cause of adult disability and
treatment options for AIS patients
the fifth leading cause of death in
were developed. Cerebral
the United States. The recognition of
endovascular thrombectomy is one
stroke symptoms and rapid delivery of
option used to remove the clot and
available therapies have evolved over
re-establish blood flow to the brain.
the past 15 years and acute ischemic
The benefit of cerebral endovascular
stroke (AIS) is now considered a
thrombectomy is that it can
medical emergency. The phrase
mechanically remove a clot in minutes,
“Time is Brain” reflects the need for
whereas intravenous tPA can take up
emergent evaluation and treatment
to two hours to dissolve it. Dr. Francis
for the rapid loss of neurons in the
Collins from the National Institutes
brain; for every minute a stroke goes
of Health stated “The challenge for
untreated, approximately 1.9 million
the health care community will be
neurons a minute are lost.
to translate the impressive results of cerebral endovascular devices into
Treatment options for AIS depend
stroke systems of care all across
on the time elapsed since symptoms
this nation and around the world. If
started. Thrombolytic therapy
successful, many more patients will be
(intravenous tissue plasminogen
helped, and the functional benefit will
activator (tPA) or Alteplase) was the
be even more substantial.”
first therapy approved for stroke by the FDA in 1996. The effectiveness
As for the advice to give your patients
of thrombolytic therapy with strokes
or the general public regarding stroke,
has improved dramatically since
the best thing you can teach them are
then, and has been found to be most
to recognize the signs and symptoms
effective when time-to-treatment is
of stroke and to call 911 immediately.
reduced. The optimal window for
Most people know about the need
tPA administration is three hours
to call 911 for a “heart attack,” now
from symptom onset but it can be
they need to understand the need to
administered as late as 4.5 hours.
call 911 for a “brain attack,” or stroke.
Patients may be ineligible for the drug
The American Stroke Association
if they have undergone recent surgery
recommends you teach your patients
are on anticoagulant therapy with
to act “F.A.S.T”.
an INR greater than 1.7 or have ever
wthvc.org
Jennifer Brand, RN, BSN, MSSL Nurse Specialist-Stroke Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
Meet a Member of the WTHVC Team Julie Robbins, RN, Stroke Coordinator Julie Robbins is a registered nurse with the Stroke Care Team. She works with stroke patients to ensure they receive superior and compassionate care. Julie also maintains the Jackson Madison County General Hospital’s certification from the Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. This certification is a testament to the hospital’s elevated standard of care for its stroke patients. On average, a stroke takes place every 40 seconds in the United States. Stroke effects the brain and its control of various body functions. When symptoms of a stroke are detected, immediate health care is required. Julie and her co-workers work closely together to provide evidenced based care for each of their patients. “Stroke is always changing, and we have to keep up-to-date with the latest protocols,” said Julie. Julie began her career with West Tennessee Healthcare in September of 2003 working in Case Management. She then moved into the Quality Outcomes Department doing Core Measures for ten years. In December 2015, Julie joined the Stroke Care Team. Julie’s office is located in Room 6119 of C tower at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. You may reach her at 731.541.8581 or by email at Julie.Robbins@WTH.org
with other outreach clinics in
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LEXINGTON
PARIS
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864 B West Church St P (731) 967-0799
1006B Cornerstone Dr P (731) 642-0524
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T OF H G I
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