6 Airlifted to Kootenai Health At Bonner General, George was quickly evaluated by the emergency department team, who determined he needed to be immediately airlifted to Kootenai Health’s cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab)—equipped with state-of-the-art imaging technology used to view the arteries and check how well blood is flowing to and from the heart. Based on the electrocardiogram (EKG) report forwarded to the hospital by ambulance personnel, George was having the most severe type of heart attack, known as a STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction). When an artery that supplies blood to the heart suddenly becomes blocked by a blood clot, an EKG shows an elevation in the ST segment of the EKG report, which signals medical personnel of a blockage. The longer a blockage is in place, the more the heart is robbed of valuable blood supply, which can cause extensive damage to the heart and even death. Getting patients quickly to a Regional Collaboration for Lifesaving STEMI designation, because it validates that the training, education and processes we implement every day are among the best of the best,” said Michele. Awell-coordinated team It’s this collaboration and dedication to saving lives that set off a series of perfectly executed events for George that day. What started with CPR at their home in Dover ended with George waking up in Kootenai Health, a little over an hour and a half later, asking, “What the heck happened?” In that hour and a half were the heroic actions of a wife and a 911 operator, sheriff’s deputies, an emergency services team, emergency department personnel, Life Flight helicopter crew, cath lab techs, nurses and cardiologists—all who honed in on their extensive training and education to make sure George could return to his new dream home, his wife of 43 years, their children and three young grandchildren. Kootenai Health interventional cardiologist Ronald Jenkins, M.D., is the physician who treated George facility with a specialized cath lab to remove the clot is often the linchpin between living or dying. “We treat roughly 200 STEMI patients each year,” said Kootenai Health STEMI Coordinator Michele Brown, BSN, RN. “Our cath lab also sees an average of 2,000 patients annually. Our team focuses an enormous amount of time and energy on working with our regional partners to ensure we meet or exceed best practices when responding to and treating STEMI patients. There are a lot of things that need to happen quickly and precisely to give our patients the best outcomes.” Thanks to the hard work of Michele and the extended cardiology team, Kootenai Health is a level 1 STEMI center—the highest designation given to hospitals that treat heart attacks. The designation is part of the state of Idaho’s Time Sensitive Emergency System (TSE), which acknowledges hospitals that meet a wide variety of proven metrics for high-quality training, education and services. TSE was created to address the top three preventable causes of death: trauma, stroke and heart attacks (aka, STEMI). TSE emphasizes the importance of a collaborative approach from all stakeholders throughout the state, including among hospitals, emergency medical services agencies, public health districts and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. “We are very proud of our level 1 —Continued from page 5 From left, Bonner County’s Zach Pohl (advanced emergency medical technician) and Josh Bradbury (paramedic), were first on the scene. From left, George Bache; Shelby Hanson, RN, (the cath lab nurse who treated him); and Michele Brown, BSN, RN, Kootenai Health STEMI coordinator.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzIxMDA=