Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Nurse Recognized as UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network

Jessica Douglas, BSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN, CLNC, Nurse Manager for the Neuro Critical Care and Neurosurgical Units at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital was recently recognized by the UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network as a “Stroke STAR” for her work in improving stroke care across the region.

The “Stroke STARS” program was created as an opportunity to recognize the important work that is being done to continuously improve stroke prevention and care across the region. The awards are presented quarterly and honor providers, staff and caregivers within the UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network who go above and beyond the call-of-duty to promote the prevention of strokes, provide compassionate care on the frontlines, and work to build, grow, and maintain stroke systems in their area.

“Our stroke team, under the guidance of Jessica Douglas, an incredible nurse manager, has received continuous recognition and distinction as a center of excellence,” shared Robert Parker, Chief Executive Officer at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.  “For our community, these awards are assurance that the resources and highest quality care for stroke treatment are ready and waiting for local patients when they are needed.” 

Jessica has over 12 years of experience in the neuroscience specialty, with a focus on stroke care. She obtained her BSN from Morehead State University, and later achieved specialty certifications as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN), and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC). In addition to her management role at LCRH, she has program oversight for the facility’s Advanced Certified Primary Stroke Center and Certified Spine Surgery Program. Jessica is a member of the UK/Norton Stroke Care Network and SEQIP (Stroke Encounter Quality Improvement Project) which is a state-wide collaborative to promote quality stroke care across the Commonwealth. She has also presented twice at the International Stroke Conference to share best-practice strategies amongst the professional stroke community.  

“Jessica’s contributions and commitment to neuro patients cannot be overstated. She works tirelessly to develop the Stroke and Spine programs for LCRH and that work plays a significant part in securing accreditation in both areas for our hospital,” said colleague Briana Small, RN, BSN, SCRN, Neuro Clinical Coordinator and Spine Program Coordinator. “As nurse manager, she works daily on improving our processes and performance related to our stroke program and has developed a Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) ‘boot camp’ for staff on our unit to help our nurses learn the content and have a study format to ensure success in stroke care. Thus far, twenty of our nurses have completed this program and obtained SCRN certification.”

Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital is an Advanced Certified Primary Stroke Center, which is a certification awarded only to hospitals that meet standards set by The Joint Commission for being a leader in the identification, intervention, and treatment of stroke care for patients. The LCRH stroke team is dedicated to providing an organized approach to expedite the treatment of, modify stroke-related risk factors for, and reduce disability in stroke patients. As a member of the UK/Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network, LCRH has access to the highest quality clinical care and oversight from UK’s Comprehensive Stroke Center, as well as access to educational programs for physicians, hospital staff and even community members. This collaboration ensures that stroke patients throughout the region receive the best possible care.

LCRH Stroke Team (L to R) Sheila Lewis, BSN, RN, SCRN; Briana Small, BSN, RN, SCRN; Samantha Saylor, RN, SCRN; Jessica Douglas, BSN, RN, CCRN, SCRN, CLNC; Katelyn Keller, RN; Brenda Smith, BSN, RN, RN-BC