SA国际传媒

Eleven out of 12 SA国际传媒hospitals received the (AHA) and (ASA) joint for providing excellent stroke care and following guidelines that lead to more lives saved and shorter recovery times.

GTWG recognizes hospitals for delivering the most appropriate treatment for stroke patients for meeting key criteria, including giving "clot buster" medication quickly enough to achieve the best outcomes.

“SA国际传媒provides rapid life-saving treatment and we have a very sophisticated interdisciplinary team who works hard to understand the underlying cause of the stroke so we can provide therapy to prevent another stroke,” said Alexander Grunsfeld, M.D., neurologist and medical director for SA国际传媒Neurosciences.

According to the AHA and ASA, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death, and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain is interrupted, the blood vessel ruptures, or bleeding occurs in the brain. Within minutes, brain cells start dying. Fast diagnosis and treatment of a stroke is critical in saving as much brain function as possible.

“For most people, stroke is a preventable disease. A tiny fraction happen spontaneously, but the majority of strokes are the end result of many years of inflammation of the blood vessels," added Grunsfeld.

"People have inflammation because of an imbalance between their diet and physical activity. If you're not burning enough calories, the body stores the calories as fat which can infiltrate cells and cause inflammation. You don't have to be visibly overweight for that to occur."   

11 out of 12 SA国际传媒hospitals received the GWTG Award.

One way SA国际传媒meets the high standards of the GWTG Award is TeleStroke technology—a remote, video-based system that allows immediate access to neurologists. The remote neurologists work with a specially trained team of onsite nurses, physicians, and surgeons, to deliver rapid, life-saving care.

"A stroke can be a life-changing medical event," said Dr. Grunsfeld. "Early intervention is paramount to survive and thrive, and SA国际传媒hospitals are prepared around the clock every day."

Dr. Grunsfeld commended the efforts of Sentara’s physical, occupational, speech, and music therapists who work with patients after a stroke.

“We have a top-notch neuro rehabilitation team. A lot of the patient’s journey to recovery takes place in the rehab clinic where they work to regain as much function as possible.”

In addition to providing on-site treatment, SA国际传媒also has 14 stroke program coordinators who attend community events to teach people about identifying stroke symptoms and getting to the hospital as quickly as possible for diagnosis and treatment.

"We also work very closely with our emergency medical service partners and all of our regions to provide education to their teams," said Robin McAlpin, manager of patient care services for Sentara's neurosciences. "We teach them about understanding a patient's 'last known well time,' and knowing if a patient is on anticoagulation or other medications that may impact the treatment they receive."

In addition to community education, coordinators are also responsible for leading stroke quality initiatives, improving processes, and serving as a stroke expert within their hospital.

BE FAST with Stroke

Use the acronym BE FAST to remember the signs of stroke and what to do if someone is experiencing them. 

If they show any of the signs of stroke, call 911.

Be prepared to tell first responders when the patient was ‘last known well’ to help our health care team determine the best options for treatment.