Spectrum Health Offers Online Stroke Risk Assessment and Free Community Screenings

Spectrum Health is recognizing Stroke Awareness Month (May) by offering free stroke screening events and encouraging the community to take a stroke risk assessment now available on its Web site.

“Time is the most important factor in responding to a potential stroke,” said Timothy K. Thoits, MD, medical director, Spectrum Health Neurosciences. “We have more treatment options available today than ever before for our stroke patients, but any delay in getting to the emergency department limits those options. We strongly urge people to educate themselves about the warning signs of stroke and to call 911 immediately if they think they are experiencing a stroke.”

The warning signs of stroke include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause”

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery, or a blood vessel breaks interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things occur, brain cells die and brain damage occurs. Most strokes are preventable if risk factors are managed.

People can learn more about their own personal risk factors for stroke by taking the Spectrum Health online stroke risk assessment tool available at www.spectrum-health.org/strokerisk.

At the free stroke screening events, Spectrum Health staff will help participants understand their stroke risk factors, provide a reminder of the warning signs of a stroke and check blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke. No appointment is necessary for these events. The screening schedule is as follows:

Butterworth Hospital
100 Michigan St. NE

Monday, May 17
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Room 1710 C
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Room 1710 C

Tuesday, May 18
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Room 1710 A
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Room 1710 C

Blodgett Hospital
1840 Wealthy St. SE

Wednesday, May 19
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Spectrum Health Continuing Care, Rehab and Nursing Center
750 Fuller Ave. NE

Thursday, May 20
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Spectrum Health Continuing Care, Rehab and Nursing Center
4118 Kalamazoo Ave. SE

Friday, May 21
10 a.m. to Noon

Both Blodgett and Butterworth hospitals have held advanced disease-specific care certification as Primary Stroke Centers by the Joint Commission since 2004. Patients who seek treatment at Spectrum Health are met by a stroke response team comprised of physicians, specially trained stroke nurses and pharmacists.

Spectrum Health continues to provide stroke care for more patients than any other hospital in West Michigan.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of eight hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, mmpc’ and West Michigan Heart‘physician groups totaling more than 400 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 580,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care. The organization provided $79.4 million in community benefit during its 2009 fiscal year. As a system, Spectrum Health has earned more than 100 awards since it was formed in 1997.