Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa earns Primary Stroke Center certification

Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Hospital is the only hospital in Sonoma County to earn Primary Stroke Center certification.

In case you missed the article in the North Bay Business Journal, you should know that Kaiser Permanente, right here in Santa Rosa, has earned certification as a Primary Stroke Center. The team completed a year and a half of intensive training to receive this special certification, making Kaiser Permanente the only hospital in Sonoma County to receive it.

Candy Weinke, a registered nurse and Santa Rosa stroke nurse coordinator, said that “dedicated stroke units can reduce a patient’s risk of death by 40 percent.” Strokes occur when blood flow to a region of the brain is obstructed. When the symptoms of stroke appear, it is important to act fast. Call 911 immediately.

Don’t delay, and don’t ignore any of these signs, even if they go away:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

If you or a loved one experience one of these symptoms, make sure you note the time while acting fast and calling 911. Once you arrive at the hospital, you’ll be asked when the first warning sign or symptom started. At Kaiser Permanente, when a new stroke patient arrives, the team jumps into action. “Emergency staff, neurologists, radiologists and nursing staff have been trained to respond in a consistent, provably effectual manner,” said Kaiser Chief of Neurology Dr. Jet Ho.

“When every minute counts, just bringing patients to a hospital that is prepared to immediately care for stroke patients helps minimize possible brain damage and significantly improves chances for survival, recovery and rehabilitation,” said nurse Courtney Millstone, quality director at the Santa Rosa facility.

Kaiser’s multidisciplinary approach also includes lab workers, health education personnel, physical therapists and continuous data collection and analysis. “This is a testament to the dedication of our physicians, nurses and medical center staff,” said Judy Coffey, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser in Sonoma and Marin.

For more information on recognizing a stroke, visit the American Heart Association or The Stroke Association.

And if you’re a caregiver for an elderly person who’s had a stroke, Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma County can lighten your load and help you give the very best care your loved one through at-home assistance.  Simply call our Home Instead Rohnert Park office at 707.586.1516 to schedule a free, no-obligation in home care assessment.

Here at Home Instead Senior Care of Sonoma, we are so pleased that Kaiser Permanente has received this Primary Stroke Center certification.  This means even better and more immediate care is available for our Sonoma County seniors.