When it comes to stroke care, experts say, “time is brain” and a new program launched this month (Oct. 2024) by the American Heart Association of South Dakota aims to connect stroke patients to quality care more quickly. Michele Bolles with the American Heart Association says the “Mission: Lifeline Stroke” initiative, aims to integrate all components of stroke care into a smooth system that serves all patients quickly and effectively, whether they live in a city or a rural area. She says that starts with early stroke identification. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/brain1.mp3 “Generally, it’s an acronym, FAST. You look at someone’s face, their arms may droop, their speech may be slurred, and ultimately the T stands for time. So time is of the essence.” The American Heart Association says more than 90% of stroke patients have some form of disability following their initial stroke and will need different types of post acute care, like physical therapy or speech pathology. The Helmsley Charitable Trust provided a grant for the Lifeline Stroke initiative. Trustee Walter Panzirer says the new program will provide certification for medical facilities. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/brain2.mp3 “It’s basically a gold seal of approval. And so they can guarantee that every facility that meets it has the same standards.” The initiative will also refresh E-M-S providers on signs of stroke to kickstart the correct chain reaction of care, including assembling a hospital’s stroke team and connecting patients with high-quality post-acute care. Nearly 400 South Dakotans died due to a stroke in 2022. The Lifeline Stroke program has also rolled out in North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Iowa.