The Stroke Center has the long-term vision of developing more effective systems to prevent stroke, to create and test new treatments, and to commercialize new approaches. The Center also is spearheading a program to help more South Carolina hospitals obtain designation as JCAHO certified stroke centers, which is designed to better prepare hospitals to provide comprehensive stroke treatment. Of the four certified stroke centers in South Carolina, two are Health Sciences South Carolina members: MUSC and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

Dr. Adams says an important goal of the REACH Stroke Network is to increase utilization of tissue plasminogen activators (tPA) such as the drug alteplase, an FDA-approved treatment for ischemic stroke. The drug is effective in returning those suffering from ischemic stroke to good health if administered in a timely fashion. However, its adoption has been slow, particularly in rural communities, because of the lack of neurologists on staff trained to evaluate stroke patients.

According to Dr. Adams, prior to the REACH Stroke Network, tPA’s were used in less than 1.5 percent of stroke cases in South Carolina, leaving patients with a high probability of disability or death. In REACH partner hospitals, the use of tPA to treat stroke has quadrupled. The potential for reversing the devastating effects of stroke in South Carolina is now very real.