Skip to main content
mayologo1
  • Patient Online Services
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Adams
      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Janesville
      • Kenyon
      • Lake City
      • Le Sueur
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • New Richland
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah
      • Lake Mills

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    • COVID-19

    Recent Posts

    • Weedeating wearing rubber boots
      Speaking of Health
      Make this spring a safe one
      March 20, 2023
    • Ramadan lantern
      Speaking of Health
      Managing your health during Ramadan fasting
      March 20, 2023
    • Kale salad
      Speaking of Health
      Kale: Discover the 'secret powers' of this superfood
      March 17, 2023
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Patient Stories
    Wednesday, May 3, 2017

    Coordinated stroke care means improved outcomes

    Topics in this Post
    • Stroke
    • Stroke Awareness
    Dale Hachfeld

    When 62-year-old Mankato resident Dale Hachfeld’s co-workers first heard him slurring his words, they thought he was trying to be funny.

    “The guys thought I was goofing around,” says Hachfeld. But when his left side gave way and he started to fall over, his co-workers knew it was no joke. “They grabbed me and sat me down.”

    They also called 911. Within minutes, an ambulance had arrived to transport Hachfeld to Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, where a team of stroke experts was waiting.

    “Based on the information given to the 911 operator, we knew we had a potential stroke patient coming in,” says Katie Pace, a registered nurse and the medical center’s stroke coordinator. Sometimes called a brain attack, a stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients.

    When Hachfeld arrived at the Emergency Department, Pace and the rest of the hospital’s stroke team — a group that includes physicians, nurses, laboratory specialists and radiology staff — was ready. They’d also alerted colleagues at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where a neurologist was waiting to evaluate Hachfeld via a two-way video stroke telemedicine system, called telestroke.

    Within about 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital, Hachfeld had a CT scan, electrocardiogram (EKG) and laboratory tests. The neurologist in Rochester reviewed the results, examined Hachfeld via the telestroke system and confirmed he was having a stroke. The best treatment option was a relatively new procedure being performed at Mayo Clinic, which meant Hachfeld was in for another ride — this time, in a Mayo One helicopter.

    “I remember trying to see out the window,” says Hachfeld. “The next thing I remember is talking to a nurse at the hospital. She was telling me about the procedure. I asked when I was going to have it, and she told me it was already done.”

    In fact, that procedure — which involved delivering a clot-busting medication directly to Hachfeld’s brain via a long, thin tube called a catheter threaded through an artery from his groin — started just 11 minutes after Hachfeld arrived at Mayo Clinic.

    “Our coordinated stroke program makes it possible to diagnose and treat stroke patients quickly, which makes a big difference in their recovery,” says Pace. “Time is brain. During a stroke, brain cells are dying every minute.”

    Hachfeld knows how lucky he was to get treatment quickly.

    “I could be dead or completely paralyzed,” he says. “Instead, I’m back to work eight or 10 hours a day.”

    He says he’s grateful to the co-workers and care team that made his recovery possible.

    “The guys called for help, and everything went like clockwork after that,” he says. “My care was amazing.”


    Recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke:

    StrokeSignsFASTHorizontal

    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Stroke
    • Stroke Awareness

    Related Posts

    Two women smiling selfie Women and stroke: What you need to know
    Laurie West Woman recovers from rare type of stroke
    Dave Berg Bikes Mayo Clinic staff experiences collaborative care firsthand after stroke

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Home
    © 2018 - 2023 Mayo Clinic Health System