Author: Sherry Farney
Roger Parr was shocked to learn the dizziness he experienced while standing and walking over the course of a week were signs of mini strokes taking place in his brain. “I’d had a couple of heart attacks before and I knew that wasn’t what was going on, but I sure didn’t think it could be a stroke,” Roger said.
A trip to the emergency room in his hometown of Sault Sainte Marie led to testing, consultation between physicians, and then his family. This resulted in the decision to transfer him to McLaren Flint for further workup and symptom management. It may be surprising to some, but patients from Northern Lower Michigan and even the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) are receiving advanced stroke care hundreds of miles away at McLaren Flint. The hospital is part of the McLaren Stroke Network, and its reach is due to the specialized care clinicians provide under the guidelines of a comprehensive stroke center, a designation given by the Joint Commission.
Upon arrival at McLaren Flint, Roger’s workup included an MRI that identified strokes involving his brain stem; the bottom part of the brain. The source of his strokes appeared to be a diseased artery supplying his brain stem called the Basilar artery. Electrophysiologist Dr. Mustafa Hassan (a specialized cardiologist) was consulted to rule out other possible sources of stroke.
“The risks of fixing his diseased brain artery were significant,” said Dr. Mahmoud Rayes, an interventional neurologist and stroke specialist at McLaren Flint. “He was closely monitored, and when it was safe to do so, he was placed on blood thinners to improve the blood flow in his brain arteries. When Roger recovered from his stroke, I spoke with him about a national research project our stroke program is a part of and asked him to consider participating in it.”
The CAPTIVA clinical research trial involves studying how patients do while taking one of three different blood thinner medications along with specific doses of aspirin over the course of a year. The participants also receive intensive risk factor education and lifestyle coaching to live healthier lives. Participants are evaluated at one month, four months, eight months, and one year.
“I was so impressed with both Dr. Rayes and Dr. Hassan and how they worked together,” said Roger. “I can’t believe the care I received from all my doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and therapists; they were all great. They all listened to me, keeping me in the loop and on track. When they asked if I wanted to participate in the clinical trial I did it because of the care I received. Plus, I thought the more people checking on me, the better; if I can help someone else, why not.”
Participating in research is just one of the many requirements of maintaining a comprehensive stroke center designation.
“Our comprehensive stroke center accreditation encompasses everything that involves preventing, treating, and helping in the recovery of stroke,” said Connie LaPointe, McLaren Flint’s Neuro Stroke Program Coordinator. “We do outreach education, which includes teaching stroke risk factors and warning signs so people can seek treatment immediately. We help provide free screenings in the community. We have advanced imaging capabilities, highly trained physicians and support staff available 24/7, and rehabilitation resources. We also conduct research and offer support groups for the community. We have an amazing team.”
McLaren Flint recently earned the Get with The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus distinction from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the fifth consecutive year. It is an acknowledgment of the hospital’s proficiency in caring for stroke patients, achieved by consistently meeting national quality measurements.
You can learn the signs of stroke and find screening and support group information at mclaren.org/flintstroke.