Jun 10, 2026 · 39 min · 12 segments
On this edition of *Inside the 1581*, we’re joined by Trent Bourland, vice president of rural health at SSM Health, and Eric Finley, executive director of the Foundation for a Healthy Oklahoma, to…
Trent BourlandGuest
Eric FinleyGuestOnce they receive the funding, how does then that work in terms of how they set up their process for certification or determining who their stroke partner is going to be? How does that work out?
You know, we work with the hospital partners to really map out the whole project for them.
And so, you know, we have a point person here at OHA that walks them through the entire process.
So setting up the evaluation protocol, the deliverables they're going to be looking at.
You know, for this example, Trent touched on it, you know, but from a public health model perspective, The door-to-needle time is the key measure that we're looking at of what's going to reduce morbidity and mortality.
And so that, you know, reduced treatment time is brain time or life-saving time.
And so that model, you know, we're looking at to help our hospitals set that up so that they're looking at it, that they're measuring it in the most effective way.
We connect them with the Comprehensive Stroke Center of their choosing to provide the telestroke services.
They will obviously provide them on the clinical training and measures that they need to implement the Telestroke program.
Like Trent talked about, a huge piece of this, if you look at national best practices, is a community engagement campaign.
You know, how are we engaging the community, not only on the new telestroke services that they have at the hospital, but awareness of stroke.
Like Trent had mentioned, you know, why is grandma's face drooping? What are the signs and symptoms? So that, you know, we can identify that rapidly and get those folks to treatment as fast as possible.
Again, that's, you know, making sure that they're aware that the program's there.
And there's just a variety of, you know, levels of engagement with EMS and hospitals across the state.
And so it's really an assessment, helping our hospitals assess their needs, you know, and then putting an action plan in place for them, you know, which is what we kind of do with our team here, helping guide them in this project.
And I would assume, too, that the education with EMS is really important because the provider needs to understand that their local hospital is now certified, has this technology.
They may transport a patient four counties over and have the condition continue to worsen and actually have a worse outcome when they do come to the comprehensive stroke center.
So, Eric, what are some of our comprehensive stroke centers off the top of your head? Can you name some of those so folks understand that some of our bigger facilities are comprehensive stroke facilities?
Once they receive the funding, how does then that work in terms of how they set up their process for certification or determining who their stroke partner is going to be? How does that work out?
You know, we work with the hospital partners to really map out the whole project for them.
And so, you know, we have a point person here at OHA that walks them through the entire process.
So setting up the evaluation protocol, the deliverables they're going to be looking at.
You know, for this example, Trent touched on it, you know, but from a public health model perspective, The door-to-needle time is the key measure that we're looking at of what's going to reduce morbidity and mortality.
And so that, you know, reduced treatment time is brain time or life-saving time.
And so that model, you know, we're looking at to help our hospitals set that up so that they're looking at it, that they're measuring it in the most effective way.
We connect them with the Comprehensive Stroke Center of their choosing to provide the telestroke services.
They will obviously provide them on the clinical training and measures that they need to implement the Telestroke program.
Like Trent talked about, a huge piece of this, if you look at national best practices, is a community engagement campaign.
You know, how are we engaging the community, not only on the new telestroke services that they have at the hospital, but awareness of stroke.
Like Trent had mentioned, you know, why is grandma's face drooping? What are the signs and symptoms? So that, you know, we can identify that rapidly and get those folks to treatment as fast as possible.
Again, that's, you know, making sure that they're aware that the program's there.
And there's just a variety of, you know, levels of engagement with EMS and hospitals across the state.
And so it's really an assessment, helping our hospitals assess their needs, you know, and then putting an action plan in place for them, you know, which is what we kind of do with our team here, helping guide them in this project.
And I would assume, too, that the education with EMS is really important because the provider needs to understand that their local hospital is now certified, has this technology.
They may transport a patient four counties over and have the condition continue to worsen and actually have a worse outcome when they do come to the comprehensive stroke center.
So, Eric, what are some of our comprehensive stroke centers off the top of your head? Can you name some of those so folks understand that some of our bigger facilities are comprehensive stroke facilities?
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