There is a new feature at the Melfort Hospital after it recently received a special designation.
Residents of northeastern Saskatchewan experiencing symptoms of stroke will have timely access to treatment closer to home with the recent designation of the Melfort Hospital as a primary stroke centre.
Effective Monday, Aug. 19 Melfort Hospital became the tenth centre in the province to go live as a designated primary stroke centre, joining facilities in Estevan, Lloydminster, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Swift Current and Yorkton. Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and Regina General Hospital in Regina are designated tertiary stroke centres.
Primary stroke centres are computed tomography (CT)-enabled sites that can assess, diagnose, and initiate treatment for patients experiencing an acute stroke caused by blood clots.
“When a stroke occurs, time to treatment is critical to saving brain function,” Nadine Mevel-Degerness, Manager of Clinical Services at Melfort Hospital, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said in a release.
“The sooner patients can get to a primary stroke centre, the increased chances of preventing or limiting stroke-related deficits.”
Previously, when emergency medical services (EMS) responded to a call about a patient exhibiting symptoms of stroke in the northeast, patients that met “stroke alert” criteria would be transported directly to the closest primary stroke centre in Prince Albert or Saskatoon for assessment and treatment.
With the new designation, EMS will be able to transport patients directly to Melfort for assessment, reducing potential delays in initial treatment critical to optimizing recovery.
Melfort Hospital has been working to achieve primary stroke centre designation since the CT scanner arrived in 2021. With the support of the provincial stroke centre in Saskatoon, Melfort Hospital physicians and staff worked to stabilize emergency room (ER) services, establish 24-hour in-house ER physician coverage and 24-hour CT technologist coverage, and educate medical and nursing teams to achieve the designation.
“Having a primary stroke centre in Melfort will bring this important care closer to home for all residents of northeastern Saskatchewan,” Mevel-Degerness said.
