Mercer Health recognized by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Telestroke Program for DTN Time

On February 27, 2025, the Emergency Department team at Mercer Health was recognized by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Telestroke program for their distinguished achievement in the 2024 Q2 Door to Needle (DTN) Challenge, attaining a best time of 21 minutes. Since joining the OSU Telestroke Network in September 2020, this marks Mercer Health’s second DTN award.

The Door to Needle time is the period from when a patient arrives at Mercer Health to the time we are able to administer the clot-busting medication for stroke treatment. In this instance, Mercer Health successfully administered the drug within 21 minutes of the patient’s arrival, thanks to the swift actions of our team members.

“The American Stroke Association’s Target: Stroke has helped hospitals nationwide achieve improved stroke outcomes through reduced door-to-needle times for eligible ischemic stroke patients. One of the most crucial targets is door-to-needle, and the Target: Stroke Phase III goal for thrombolytic eligible patients is achieving door-to-needle times within 60 minutes in 85 percent or more of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV thrombolytics. Working hand in hand with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s neurovascular physicians and Telestroke Program team experts, we are constantly revising policies and streamlining processes to improve door-to-needle times,” states Dixie Davenport, Telestroke Program Manager at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Mercer Health’s achievement of a 21-minute door-to-needle exemplifies their hard work and dedication in providing the very best stroke care to their community.”

Each year in the United States, around 795,000 people suffer a stroke, with a stroke occurring every 40 seconds and a stroke-related death every 4 minutes. Strokes can affect individuals of any age, with nearly one-quarter of cases occurring in those under 65.

Congratulations to the Mercer Health teams who played a part in this remarkable accomplishment. Your unwavering commitment to providing faster and higher-quality stroke care is making a significant difference in the communities we serve!