Mary Washington Healthcare understands the importance of Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) in patient care. When minutes count, EMS personnel are
a vital link in the chain of patient survival. We thank all EMS teams
for the countless hours, dedication and commitment invested every day.
MWHC has developed this page to provide EMS professionals with information,
education and resources that will help provide pre-hospital patient care.
EMS partners will find news and information, educational opportunities,
useful resources and communication tools. We recognize that quality care
begins in the field and are vested in excellent continuum of care from
the field to the hospital bed.
Advancing Stroke Care at Mary Washington Hospital: What EMS Needs to Know
Mary Washington Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center is now providing
Thrombectomy services for Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) stroke patients.
New Thrombectomy Services begin at Mary Washington Hospital
John Muse, MD, MBA, Neurosurgeon, has joined our team at Mary Washington Hospital Primary
Stroke Center. He is dedicated to advancing the field of neurological
surgery at MWH and will begin performing thrombectomy procedures and other
advanced neuro care in early December 2026.
Dr. Muse has visited many of our EMS stations to talk about our new thrombectomy
services and looks forward to meeting and working with all our area EMS
providers.
Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) Patient Care
Thrombectomy Eligibility Window Up to 24 hours
Stroke patients may be eligible for thrombectomy up to 24 hours from last
known well time.
Use EMS Protocols for transport decisions.
Why EMS Stroke Screening Matters HEAR report, BEFAST & VAN findings, and Last Known Well time & date
Our Emergency Department and Stroke Team rely on your timely EMS HEAR report
and field stroke alert for our hospital Stroke Activation process and workflow.
Be sure to Include your stroke screening results for BEFAST and VAN in
your HEAR report—especially VAN+ findings for suspected Large Vessel
Occlusion (LVO).
Always provide a specific last known well time and date.
What to Expect at the Mary Washington Hospital ED
Expect the normal Stroke Swarm response on arrival to the MWH ED and immediate
imaging to confirm LVO, followed by rapid activation of our new Neurointerventional Suite.
Neurosurgeons are on call 24/7/365.
New Technology Investment Including the Latest in Brain Imaging
Check out our state-of-the-art biplane medical imaging in the Neurointerventional Suite!
EMS Protocol Updates The current Regional Stroke Triage Plan and Protocol will not change
Should EMS identify a possible Large Vessel Occlusion (VAN+) patient they
currently would transport to a Comprehensive or Thrombectomy Capable Stroke
Center if able to do so within 30 minutes, keeping on scene time to less
than 15 minutes.
Currently, if there is no Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) within that
travel time, EMS would transport to the closest, most appropriate Primary
Stroke Center, like Mary Washington Hospital.
Stay tuned for EMS updates as Mary Washington Hospital expands cerebrovascular
procedures and applies for Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) designation
in early 2026.
Dave has over 20 years of experience in EMS and firefighting, starting
his career by volunteering with the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department
from 1997 to 2000. He obtained his Emergency Medical Technician in 2004
and National Registry and Virginia Paramedic in 2013. He retired from
Prince William County Fire and Rescue in 2022 and worked at the Mary Washington
Hospital ED before transitioning to the ED at Harrison Crossing.
