Manitoba stroke survivors will soon have access to specialized care and intensive rehabilitation tailored to individual needs, as the province’s acute stroke unit opens today (Dec 18) at Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Winnipeg, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced in a media release.
“Manitobans deserve leading-edge medical care services that improve patient outcomes and speed up recovery times,” said Asagwara. “The opening of the new stroke unit at HSC will meet that expectation, providing Manitoba stroke patients with treatment, management and rehabilitation beginning in the days immediately following a stroke, highly specialized care that will help them in their recovery journey and improve quality of life.”
Located on the fourth and fifth floors of 735 Notre Dame Ave., formerly known as the Women’s Pavilion, the entirely renovated unit will welcome its first patients on Monday with the opening of an initial 12 beds. The centralized unit is approximately 18,400 sq.-ft. in size and includes modern single-bed rooms with ample space for loved ones, an occupational therapy kitchen that helps assess a patient’s ability to determine how well they will be able to move around in a home setting once discharged, and a gym space where patients work with physiotherapists – often within hours of experiencing a stroke.
Approximately 3,500 strokes occur in Manitoba each year. Until now, these patients only had access to two of three standard therapies while in hospital – clot busting and clot removal therapies. With the opening of the stroke unit, inpatients will soon have improved access to intensive rehabilitation, which is seen by clinical experts as crucial in speeding up recovery times, the minister noted.
“The new acute stroke unit at HSC will provide patients with care from stroke neurologists, physiatrists, nurses and rehabilitation specialists that will provide the full range of therapies for stroke patients to prevent further health complications, reduce the chances of a second stroke occurring, and maximizing their recovery,” said Dr. Esseddeeg Ghrooda, stroke neurologist, HSC Winnipeg. “Our team is very pleased that patients will soon have access to this enhanced level of stroke care.”
The unit will benefit from its proximity to interventional angiography facilities and equipment supporting stroke care at HSC’s Diagnostic Centre of Excellence, the minister added.
“We know that if a person who experiences stroke receives care in an acute stroke unit they are more likely to survive, have fewer complications, return home and regain independence,” said Christine Houde, director of health policy and systems in Manitoba, Heart & Stroke. “This facility will bring together a comprehensive team of stroke experts to deliver the best evidence-based care for people who have a stroke in this province. This is truly excellent news for all Manitobans.”
Additional nursing staff are expected to be hired in the next three to four months to bring the unit’s capacity to 28 beds, the minister noted, adding that HSC officials have received an enthusiastic response to the initial postings that resulted in a significant number of applicants.
