Mayo Clinic Arizona Emergency Department

Phoenix, Arizona

A clinical nurse in Mayo Clinic’s Emergency Department in Arizona brought forward the idea of a checklist to assist in the timely intervention and quality care for suspected stroke patients. Supported by clinical committees and interprofessional and interdepartmental collaboration, the ED implemented the checklist and accompanying workflow to streamline communication between the ED, interventional radiology and the ICU.

Called by the acronym WINGS, the checklist guides ED staff through the critical steps of caring for a suspected stroke patient. This includes checking weight, beginning an IV, completing the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) tool, checking glucose levels and CT Scan completion.

The structured approach provided by the WINGS and the new workflow has been instrumental in Mayo Clinic’s recognition as a comprehensive stroke center and receiving the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke and Target Stroke Honor Roll quality award for eight consecutive years. Since the inception of WINGS, processes around stroke care have continued to evolve to meet the community’s needs and uphold Mayo Clinic’s primary value: the needs of the patient come first.