SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton: SSM Health Neurosurgeons Partner With EMS Workers, Utilize Simulator For Stroke Training

Press release from SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton:

March 1, 2022

Every second matters when it comes to treating a stroke. Brain tissue starts to die in as little as four minutes after a stroke begins, and when brain tissue dies, it is gone forever.

Dr. Christopher Baggott and Dr. Alex Witek, SSM Health Neuro-Interventionalists at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, joined the SSM Health EMS Program leaders and more than 40 EMS providers from Deer Grove EMS and Cambridge EMS to discuss the importance of stroke care response and the state-of-the-art treatments that help stroke patients.

“Every link in the chain of care has the potential to affect outcomes for stroke patients,” Dr. Witek said. “It is a very complex and time-sensitive disease which needs to be treated long before the patient arrives at the hospital. The EMS and pre-hospital teams are so important in this aspect.”

With the help of an endovascular simulator that acts as a virtual patient, the surgeons demonstrated how to break up and remove blood clots in stroke patients using thrombectomy procedures based on real-life cases. EMS providers in attendance were also given the chance to perform a thrombectomy in the simulator.

The interventional medical simulator, developed by Mentice, a leading provider of software and hardware simulation, was acquired with help from the St. Mary’s Foundation. Dr. Witek calls the technology a “game-changer to push stroke care over the hump for better patient outcomes.”

While it’s commonplace to have EMS physicians help with EMS education, having state-of-the-art technology and specialty physicians, such as neurosurgeons, out in the community and actively working alongside EMS providers is unique to the SSM Health EMS program.

“This is the most advanced and unique training I have had in the 25 years I’ve been an EMT,” said Paul Blount, Cambridge EMS Chief. “This is the first time I’ve seen technology like this shown live in an EMS training. I’m excited about our partnership with SSM Health to bring these types of experiences to our EMS providers.”

Dr. Witek and Chief Blount agreed that this type of joint training provides a better understanding and appreciation for the holistic care a patient receives.

“We don’t often get to interact with the end result of a stroke patient,” Blount said. “As a first responder, to have this part of the process explained to us and to be able to

see and use the tools, it gives us more knowledge and a different perspective on our role, which leads to better patient care and outcomes.”

Understanding your risk for stroke is the first step in prevention. Read one patient’s story about how rapid response after his stroke tremendously aided his recovery. As a reminder, SSM Health providers can help you understand your risk for having a stroke. Take our Stroke Health Risk Assessment.

This press release was produced by SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.