QHC opened its Integrated Stroke Unit (ISU) for both acute and rehabilitation care a year ago, on Dec 11, 2018. QHC, the designated District Stroke Centre for Quinte, provides inpatient care to stroke patients requiring both acute and rehabilitation services at its Belleville General Hospital site. As such, the hospital had an opportunity to promote a more integrated approach to inpatient stroke care. QHC teams learned from the experiences of other District Stroke Centres such as Peterborough to plan the new unit. Expert clinical teams providing acute care and rehabilitation at QHC came together to form one geographically cohesive environment for stroke care within the larger Rehabilitation Unit on Sills 3. With a spacious layout, the Sills 3 Unit is well suited to the delivery of both acute and rehabilitation care for stroke patients throughout their stay. The integrated approach was designed to improve the journey and outcomes for stroke survivors. In the photo, stroke survivors meet to discuss the launch of the ISU in December 2018. During the first year of integrated services the unit has been faced with capacity, bed flow and staffing challenges but a strong and collaborative team has helped weather the storm for the benefit of stroke survivors. Acute stroke mortality rates have decreased while the provision of rehabilitation service intensity is showing a recent trend for improvement despite growth in volumes and demand. Wait time to rehab, length of stay and functional change over time continue to be monitored for both stroke and non-stroke populations on the Sills 3 Unit. Patient feedback has been positive and all look forward to future years of effective patient-centred care on the Sills 3 ISU. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to the QHC ISU!! Learn More
Fewer strokes. Better outcomes.