May is National Stroke Awareness Month
Montgomery General Hospital - Certified Primary Stroke Center
(see video)
Montgomery General Hospital is one of seven primary
stroke centers in the state of Maryland
| The effects of stroke can be devastating. Paralysis, loss of speech or sight, and lack of emotional controls are common. Life-long disability or death, however, is no longer a given due to new procedures and treatments available at Montgomery General Hospital (MGH). Its comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation has resulted in the hospital's certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commision on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. |
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Because
time is of the essence in treating stroke, "the fact that area residents can receive superior care within their own community will improve patient outcomes," says Betty Anne Secrist, R.N., Director of Performance Improvement, Risk Management and Corporate Compliance. "Our Emergency Department team, working with Montgomery County EMS, is trained to provide rapid, excellent care by making stroke a priority. In addition, we have a rapid response team here, around the clock, that evaluates hospitalized patients and sets in motion specific procedures to diagnose the cause of the stroke," she says.
What is a Stroke? Strokes are either caused by a clot that blocks the flow of blood to the brain or, less frequently, by ruptured blood vessels that cause the brain to hemorrhage. Stroke deprives the brain of oxygen and, as brain cells die, results in a loss of body function in the area that the affected portion of the brain controls. As the third leading cause of death, both nationally and in Maryland, stroke affects some 750,000 Americans annually and is the major cause of adult disability.