The Stroke Network improves care for NSW stroke patients by better coordinating stroke services across the state, developing and implementing evidence-based models of care in partnership with other health agencies and LHDs and providing a forum to share available resources and promote expertise.
The network is led by the network manager and supported by three co-chairs (medical, nursing and allied health). These roles form the core of the stroke executive.
James Evans
Medical Co-Chair
Amanda Buzio
Nursing Co-Chair
Clare Kendrick
Allied Health Co-Chair
The network has a strategy and has identified priority areas that are reflected in the working groups' structure. Each group's chair represents the group on the executive. There are specific projects generated in the working groups, some of which require project teams to progress time limited pieces of work.
In addition, there are communities of practice that bring together either groups of clinicians with a common purpose or discipline specific groups to share ideas, identify gaps and new work for the workplan.
Network structure
Our groups and their projects
Data and benchmarking
To develop sustainable and automated solutions for stroke data collection and benchmarking in NSW. Chair sits on the stroke executive.
- Interim data solution: focused on an interim semi-automated solution for stroke data collection and benchmarking
- eCQR: Stroke group participating in the broader virtual registry development project seeking a fully automated solution for data collection and visualisation across multiple conditions
Reperfusion and telestroke
Focusing on hyperacute stroke care from community identification to access to reperfusion therapies. Chair sits on the stroke executive.
- Mobile stroke unit: project group developing the mobile stroke unit model of care and implementation strategy
- ECR bypass project: project group focused on the development of a metropolitan Sydney LVO bypass model of care and pilot
- Telestroke implementation: team focused on the implementation of Telestroke in NSW including; capability building, site support, education development and delivery
Professional development
Focusing on the development and delivery of stroke education projects for nursing and allied health, virtually and in person. Chair sits on the stroke executive.
- Stroke nursing education: team developing a guide to transition to speciality practice for the stroke novice to expert. Contributing to the SF program seeking to develop a formal university stroke nursing curriculum
- Virtual reality education: SME contributing to the design and development of virtual reality training for nurses in provision of stroke care, links closely with Telestroke implementation and the development of Telestroke VR module
- Oxford Cognitive screen: project progressing two streams of work concurrently, to modify the OCS for the Australian context and to develop a series of MHL education resources to support understanding around cognition and how to apply the OCS
Stroke unit access and care
Focusing on improving access to stroke unit care and ensuring the provision of evidence-based care for all patients following a stroke. Chair sits on the stroke executive.
- Clinical collaboration: Project focussed on improving clinical collaboration across the stroke pathway. Enabling all regional telestroke sites with enhanced conference and collaboration facilities, supporting self-nominated rehabilitation facilities with capabilities to link with acute stroke facilities
- Outcomes incentive project: Developing a system to link outcomes in stroke to incentives, to incentive best practice care rather than location within a hospital- links to interim data project
Communities of practice
Complex case review: Leverages the clinical collaboration work to link clinicians across the state to complex case review meetings for patients that have been transferred for ECR.
Telestroke project officers: Brings together the project officers from the Telestroke referring sites, to provide centralised education and capability building, discuss common challenges and develop shared solutions.
Rural stroke co-ordinators: Brings together stroke coordinators from rural and regional sites to share experiences, education sessions, and networking. Chair sits on the stroke executive.
Medical stroke leaders: Brings together stroke medical leads across NSW to provide updates on network activity, discuss challenges. Chair sits on the stroke executive.