Thames Valley District Stroke Centre

 

Population Served:

The Thames Valley Area includes Middlesex County (including the City of London), Elgin County, and Oxford County. The District Centre operates out of the Regional Centre at London Health Sciences Centre-University Hospital and Parkwood Hospital.

The District Stroke Councils focus on supporting continuous improvement in stroke prevention, care, recovery and reintegration in their geographic areas, all with the vision of, “fewer strokes, better outcomes”. There is a Stroke Council for both the City of London and the counties of Thames Valley.

Programs and Services:

Health Promotion and Risk Factor Reduction – the Stroke Councils partner with the local public health units and healthy community partnerships in the support of healthy living (i.e., healthy eating, active, and smoke free living) in their communities. Representation from the health promotion and public health sectors is included in the Stroke councils.

Secondary Prevention of Stroke – University Hospital hosts an Urgent TIA/Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic, located in the outpatient area on the 7th Floor. A physician referral is required to access the clinic where an interdisciplinary team investigates the cause of TIAs and provides counseling and guidance to patients. To contact the clinic, phone (519) 685-8500 x 32649.

A stroke specialist at University Hospital serves as a mentor in the Ontario College of Family Physicians Saving the Brain Network. Family Physicians in the Southwest Region can join the network as mentees by contacting the College.

Pre-Hospital Care – The Regional Stroke Centre at London Health Sciences Centre-University Hospital is the designated hyper-acute care stroke centre for Thames Valley. Here, thrombolysis (tPA/clot-busting drug) can be administered on patients meeting the criteria for tPA. Using a prompt card, ambulance attendants assess whether the patient may be a candidate for thrombolysis. If so, regardless of their location in Thames Valley, the ambulance will be redirected to University Hospital for rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Patients redirected to a designated stroke centre will return to their home (nearest) hospital as soon as their condition is stable.

Acute Care – All of the hospitals in Thames Valley can care for acute stroke patients. Physicians, neurologists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, speech language pathologists, dieticians and social workers work together to ensure that the stroke survivor receives the best possible care. London Health Sciences Centre-University Hospital has an acute care stroke interdisciplinary team and an acute stroke unit. Patients from Thames Valley, who have arrived at the hospital through a medical redirect protocol and are requiring tertiary care, may all be seen at University Hospital as their medical condition requires.

Rehabilitation and Reintegration – Rehabilitation care should be started as soon as possible after a person experiences a stroke. All hospitals within Thames Valley provide therapy within the acute care setting. Hospitals in Elgin and London provide inpatient rehabilitation for stroke survivors when they progress beyond the acute stage. Parkwood Hospital of St. Joseph’s Health Care, London has a designated stroke rehabilitation unit, available to stroke survivors throughout Thames Valley. The Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team (CRST) offers goal-directed therapy to stroke survivors in the community. Comprised of an interdisciplinary team, the CRST will also see stroke survivors discharged to a long term care facility if there is potential for them to return home. The Parkwood Hospital-based Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment Team (CORP) offers outpatient therapy to stroke survivors in Thames Valley.

Community Reintegration and Re-engagement – Transition and re-engagement into the community is facilitated through discharge planning, the Southwest Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and a host of community agencies (which vary by community) across the Thames Valley district. The CCAC has an information and referral service to help direct stroke survivors and their families to appropriate services. Thehealthline.ca has a searchable database of community services within the Thames Valley area. The Living with Stroke programme is offered in the district several times each year. This programme is for stroke survivors and family members which focuses on “building skills, sharing experiences, and lending support”. The Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging in London welcomes stroke survivors into its exercise programmes. The London-based Boys and Girls Club offers an adapted seniors pool programme which stroke survivors can attend. A fitness centre is also located at Parkwood Hospital.

Long-Term Care – Approximately 20% of those in long term care facilities are stroke survivors. The Tips and Tools guide is an excellent resource for caregivers in LTC. The Southwestern Ontario Stroke Network offers resources and education sessions for healthcare providers in long term care (LTC) facilities to support them in providing optimal care for stroke survivors. This includes education sessions specifically focused on Tips and Tools.

Stats and Facts:

• 2010/2011 Overview of Activities
• 2009/2010 Overview of Activities

Contact Information:

Gwenyth Stevenson
Regional Stroke Prevention and Thames Valley Coordinator
519.685.8500 x32264

Useful Local Links:

TheHealthLine.ca
Middlesex London Health Unit
Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit
Board of Health for County of Oxford
Parkwood Hospital
London Health Sciences Centre
Middlesex Hospital Alliance (Strathroy Middlesex and Four Counties Hospitals)
Alexandra Hospital Ingersoll
Tillsonburg Hospital
Woodstock General Hospital
Community Stroke Rehabilitation Teams
SW Community Care Access Centre Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
London & District Stroke Recovery Association
Chippewas of the Thames Health Services
Oneida Nation of the Thames Health Services
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging
Living with Stroke

Committees:

Thames Valley District Stroke Council
The Thames Valley District Stroke Council includes representation from the three Counties of Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford. The council is comprised of stakeholders from across the continuum of care – from health promotion, to acute care, to community based services.
The purpose of the District Stroke Council is to act as an advisory panel for stroke services in Thames Valley, as well as identify successes and needs for stroke care in the district. The chair of the District Stroke Council (or a delegate) is to represent Thames Valley at the Southwestern Ontario Stroke Network Regional Steering Committee. The District Stroke Council will also be a forum where issues from the London Stroke Council can be brought forward.
The Stroke Council is responsible for creating a work plan that is reflective of the needs of the district and which aligns with provincial and regional objectives. The work plan’s time frame will be determined by District Stroke Council in response to the complexity of the goals included in the document.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the District Stroke Council align with that laid out by the Ontario Stroke Network in their Review of the Districts document. For further information about the Terms of Reference and responsibilities of the District Stroke Council, please contact the Thames Valley Coordinator.

City of London Stroke Council
The City of London Stroke Council includes representation that reflects the diversity of the city as well as the breadth of the services available. The council is comprised of stakeholders from across the continuum of care – from health promotion, to acute care, to community based services.
The purpose of the City of London Stroke Council is to act as an advisory panel for stroke services in Thames Valley, as well as identify successes and needs for stroke care in London. It will also be a forum where issues from the Thames Valley District Stroke Council can be brought forward.
The Stroke Council is responsible for creating a work plan that is reflective of the needs of the city which also aligns with provincial and regional objectives. The work plan’s time frame will be determined by District Stroke Council in response to the complexity of the goals included in the document.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the District Stroke Council align with that laid out by the Ontario Stroke Network in their Review of the Districts document. For further information about the Terms of Reference and responsibilities of the District Stroke Council, please contact the Thames Valley Coordinator.

Stroke Interdisciplinary Committee
The Stoke Interdisciplinary (Stroke ID) Committee is a project based group comprised of a cross section of health care professionals who work within acute care at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
The purpose of the Stroke ID Committee is to promote Stroke Best Practices within their acute care settings at University Hospital (the Regional Stroke Centre for the Southwest Region) and Victoria Hospital. Additionally, they provide leadership, advocacy, and support for the implementation of Stroke Best Practice across the continuum of care (i.e., prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, and community reintegration) at the local and regional level.

For information on the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Stroke ID Team, please contact Regional Acute Care Coordinator or the Thames Valley Coordinator.

Thames Valley Chronic Disease Self-Management Community of Practice
A Thames Valley Chronic Disease Self-Management (CDSM) Community of Practice (CoP) has been formed. The purpose of the CoP is to:

• Share and promote best practices in CDSM
• Share knowledge, experience, and resources with respect to implementation of CDSM programs.
• Help generate new knowledge and solutions in response to CDSM problems and respond to opportunities identified by its’ members.

CoP members may achieve the above activities by exchanging stories, problems and solutions. The CoP meets twice a year. If you are interested in become a member of the Thames Valley CDSM, please contact Gina Tomaszewski at gina.tomaszewski@lhsc.on.ca.