Abstract

Primary Stroke Center Development Using GIS
Track: Health and Human Services
Author(s): Anna Sokol

Stroke care in the United States was dramatically impacted by the advent of tissue Plasminogen Activator, or tPA. This drug must be administered within 3 hours of stroke onset, and therefore it is imperative that vulnerable populations are located near hospitals equipped to treat with tPA. A model was developed to select hospitals for primary stroke center designation in the State of Michigan using the existing hospital infrastructure network in conjunction with census demographic data and estimation of travel times to hospitals for stroke care. Based on the demographic data, communities at high risk for stroke incidence were identified and the adequacy of the model could be assessed. Further assessment of the model was performed using network analyst to determine if the initial boundaries and buffers chosen reflected real-world travel times to hospitals, a factor that was a key component in the model's development.

Anna Sokol
City of South Bend
227 W. Jefferson Blvd
Suite 1316
South Bend , Indiana 46601
United States
Phone: 574-235-5997
Fax: 574-235-9171
E-mail: asokol@southbendin.gov