Fort Riley's Irwin Army Community Hospital hosts seminar on time-critical emergencies

By Jorge Gomez, Fort Riley/Irwin Army Community Hospital PAOJuly 20, 2017

Topeka cardiologist discusses treatment of cardiac arrest June 16 at a professional development event hosted at Irwin Army Community Hospital in conjunction with Stormont Vail Health and the Health In
A cardiologist with Stormont Vail Health in Topeka presents on the identification and treatment of a potential massive heart attack. Dr. Seshu Rao shares his insights June 16 at a professional development event hosted at Irwin Army Community Hospital... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Minutes can make a difference in the successful treatment of heart attacks, stroke or trauma.

That was an important message given as health care providers and nurses from across the Flint Hills region gathered at Irwin Army Community Hospital June 16 to hear the latest information regarding treatments for these critical diagnoses.

The seminar, sponsored by Stormont-Vail Health in Topeka, Kansas, Life Star and the Health Innovations Network Kansas provided an opportunity for the Network and Stormont-Vail Health to provide lifesaving education to the 21 network member facilities with a focus on rural critical access hospitals in the Fort Riley area. IACH is an affiliate HINK member.

Dr. Seshu Rao, a cardiologist with Stormont Vail, presented on the identification and treatment of a massive heart attack, where one of the heart's major arteries is blocked. He provided examples of patients who presented symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath and how their electrocardiograms indicated a life-threatening situation.

The challenge lies in identifying a potential heart attack. Heart attacks may be preceded by abnormalities that can be seen on an electrocardiogram but requires careful analysis of the waveforms. Rao illustrated sample cases to share his findings with healthcare workers, specifically for those in emergency departments.

"Time is muscle," Rao said, "the sooner you treat the better the effectiveness of treatment."

Rao emphasized to err on the side of caution and to treat a developing heart attack with clot-busting drugs. Early treatment makes a difference especially to rural residents. Getting the blocked artery re-opened within specific time frames can affect the likelihood of recovery.

Other topics at the seminar included the recognition and management of infection, the assessment of a stroke patient and the latest treatments of traumatic brain injuries.

Col. John Melton, IACH commander, told attendees this was the first of many educational events IACH plans to offer regional partners.

"We have in this forum an opportunity to address regional healthcare challenges," Melton said. "We can collaborate and establish partnerships that improve the care and services we deliver to patients."

In the last 12 months IACH has engaged 21 organizations to streamline the delivery of care between hospitals; and to improve the educational opportunities of providers and nurses resulting from networking activities.

Hosting the seminar at IACH and Fort Riley presented an opportunity for HINK and Stormont Vail to extend their reach to area and rural communities. Stormont Vail has an interest in educating community hospitals about time-critical diagnosis with the latest information.

"We will continue to leverage our location in the region where rural health centers and community hospitals can gather for professional development and the latest clinical practice guidelines," Melton said.

HINK is a coalition of 21 hospitals in eastern Kansas dedicated to building strategic relationships in order to provide quality, cost-effective health care services to Kansas communities.