Grant to Improve Stroke Treatment
Hoping to reduce the occurrence of strokes and improve services for stroke victims, a hospital and nonprofit organization are teaming up to develop a program with a $189,083 grant.
Valley Presbyterian Hospital and the Organization for the Needs of the Elderly (ONE) will use a UniHealth Foundation grant to hire a project coordinator, two case managers and a nurse to help stroke patients during and after their hospital stays.
The nurse will work at ONE’s adult day health-care program in Van Nuys, which will allow an increase in the number of seniors currently served from 105 to 130, said Donna Deutchman, associate executive director of ONE.
The hospital, which treats 200 stroke victims each year, will start support groups for patients and caregivers, in addition to providing community lectures and screenings.
“We’re trying to make sure we have the staffing and services in place to make it a more seamless transition from patient to outpatient to going home,” said Kellye Tarelka Pitts, the hospital’s marketing and public relations director. “We want to maximize all the services to get the maximum recovery.”
According to the American Heart Assn., stroke ranks as the third-leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer, and the No. 1 cause of long-term disability in the United States.
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