The National Stroke Congress was held in Vancouver from October 4-7, and LGH was well represented at the conference. As an Advanced Stroke Center, the interdisciplinary team has been working with Stroke Services of British Columbia (SSBC) to improve services and outcomes for acute stroke patients within the Coastal Community of Care. Iniatives include standardized regional stroke orders, dysphagia and depression screening for all stroke patients, weekly stroke rounds with Dr. Cameron, Stroke Neurologist, and implementation of the Alpha FIM score to determine best possible discharge destination. As a result of the work with the Alpha FIM, the team was able to participate in the poster presentation session at the Stroke Congress. The poster outlined the entire process, including education, implementation, and three month tracking of discharge destination. “What was most surprising about the data, is that lengh of stay for those with a high score and high functional outcome was significantly shorter than stroke patients with a low score and greater burden of care based on the functional level” says Sandra Broughton, Stroke and TIA Clinician for LGH. On a regional and provincial level, this data will be helpful in investigating systems of care that will allow for more timely discharge to rehabilitation, long term or palliative care. The North Shore is also fortunate to offer rehabilitation on many levels: Inpatient rehab on 5E; outpatient rehab through NEUROP and IROP; also, the North Shore Stroke Recovery Center is an excellent community support group for patients and familiies living with stroke. A special thanks to Dr Cameron, Marieve Legrand, Mia Mosters, Colleen van Hooft and Sandra Broughton: The Alpha FIM Team!
