Florida Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center Team Encourages Community to Get Stroke Smart by Taking Pledge

Fort Lauderdale – In honor of National Stroke Awareness Month in May, Florida Medical Center is promoting its Stroke Smart Pledge with hospital employees, medical staff and the community.

Those who log-on to the hospital’s website (www.FloridaMedCtr.com/strokesmart) and take the pledge agree to refrain from smoking, know their numbers, eat right and stay active to reduce their chances of suffering a stroke. Florida Medical Center is also offering free health screenings for individuals wanting to better understand their risk factors. The screenings include tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, BMI and more.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood it needs to survive. Patient outcomes improve when action is taken early to restore blood flow to the brain. Each minute left untreated, a stroke patient loses 1.9 million neurons.

“The message of the importance of time and knowing your numbers that  National Stroke Awareness Month brings to the forefront is something we believe needs to be widely promoted,” said Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, CEO of Florida Medical Center. “I hope everyone will join me in signing our on-line pledge.   Our goal is to help educate the community about stroke risk factors, and to recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke so that they can seek treatment immediately.”

Florida Medical Center is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which means the hospital follows national standards and guidelines that may significantly improve the outcomes of the most complex stroke cases. The Comprehensive Stroke Center is prepared 24/7 to rapidly diagnose and treat stroke patients. The hospital has some of the latest diagnostic and therapeutic advances and offers a wide range of interventional options that have the potential to stop a stroke in progress and minimize the potential damage. The hospital is also part of the Advanced Neuroscience Network (ANN), which is designed to work with specially trained physicians to offer the most advanced prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation methods for patients suffering from neurological issues.

ANN stroke centers have saved many lives due to their talented neuroscience teams and access to some of the most advanced diagnostic and interventional technology available to date. One of the most important factors in positive stroke outcomes is recognizing stroke warning signs and getting the patient to a hospital dedicated to treating patients as quickly as possible. Now is the time to learn how treatment times for stroke matter.

Use the American Stroke Association’s FAST test to remember warning signs that assess three specific symptoms of a stroke:

• Facial weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
• Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
• Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
• Time – if you observe any of these signs, call 911

Florida Medical Center encourages you to know your numbers, understand the signs and symptoms of stroke and take the Stroke Smart Pledge by visiting www.FloridaMedCtr.com/strokesmart.The complimentary health screenings are offered on a monthly basis and require a previous appointment. To make a reservation, please call 1-866-498-LIFE (5433).

ANN stroke centers offer advanced emergency care, diagnostics, surgery and treatment for neurological conditions including strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain tumors, epilepsy, sleep disorders and back pain.

For more information about stroke treatment and neuroscience offerings at ANN hospitals, please visit www.advancedneuronetwork.com.