National Stroke Month: Jackson Hospital Awarded For Stroke Patient Care

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By Heather VacLav

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and even though June is days away, Jackson Hospital in Montgomery is being recognized for their continual stroke awareness and treatment.


The American Heart and Stroke Associations presented the “Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award” to Jackson Hospital for successful stroke assessment, diagnosis and treatment over the past two years.

“It’s not just with strokes but every aspect of our care, we're always trying to do better and this just helps us feel like we're on the right track,” said Dr. Urmil Patel, an emergency room physician at Jackson Hospital.

Behind the award, is the reality that at least two to three patients are admitted to the ER at Jackson Hospital every day. 

“Most patients die almost immediately at home,” Dr. Patel said,” And we call it the sudden cause of death.”

Jackson Hospital Registered Nurse Liz Whitaker says the number of stroke patients is alarming. “I don't think people take it serious enough as they should,” Whitaker said. “If anybody presents with a facial droop, slurred speech an unsteady gate, those are all warning signs that you need to get to your closest emergency room to have this checked out.”

If you suffer a stroke, doctors say there's a three hour window to administer medicine that can reverse the affects of a stroke. 

“One lady could not move the left side of her body, her left side was drooping in her face and she was not able to communicate,” said Brittany Arledge, R.N., “Within an hour of that drug infusing with the proper time, she was able to communicate and move all extremities and was able to be discharged within two or three days from the hospital.”

Unfortunately, Dr. Patel says most people reach the ER after the three-hour window and are left with an arc of brain damage, some permanent, some treatable with rehabilitation. Dr. Patel says while people can not control a stroke, the one thing people can control is their lifestyle. 

“Eat healthy, exercise regularly and especially do not smoke, that's the worse thing anyone could do,” Dr. Patel said. 

The nurses and doctors in the ER at Jackson Hospital stressed the importance of rapid response, because it could mean the difference between life and death. 

“Once these symptoms appear, that’s your time frame, the time starts clicking then,” Whitaker said. 

If you or someone you know is having stroke-like symptoms call 9-1-1 immediately.

 

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