Stroke Care at Arnot Health

The New York State Department of Health has granted Stroke Center designation to Arnot Ogden Medical Center. Appropriate stroke victims bypass other local hospitals and are transported straight to Arnot Ogden Medical for specialized, immediate care. This designation demonstrates Arnot Health possesses clinical expertise and trained staff to effectively diagnose strokes in addition to the equipment and rehabilitation skills required to treat stroke patients. Patients treated at hospitals with a NYSDOH designated Stroke Center have reduced morbidity and mortality, fewer complications, improved long-term outcomes, and increased patient satisfaction (according to studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association).

Emergency Treatment

When en route with a stroke patient, Emergency Medical Services notifies Arnot Ogden Medical Center, putting the Arnot Stroke Team into action.  Patients receive immediate and aggressive evaluation to see if they can be treated with clot-dissolving therapy.

Arnot Stroke Team

The Stroke Team at Arnot Ogden Medical Center is a multidisciplinary group that includes emergency physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, vascular surgeons, and rehabilitation specialists.  The stroke team is available to respond for evaluation and treatment of stroke patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the Emergency Department at Arnot Ogden Medical Center.

About Stroke

A stroke, also known as a "brain attack," occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by a clot or blockage, or a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Generally, effects from a stroke range from mild to severe and can cause a variety of problems including partial or complete paralysis, deficits in motor functions, language deficiencies, emotional changes, and loss of word comprehension or retrieval. Patients may also experience sensory disturbances including pain or numbness following a stroke. Immediate treatment can save someone's life and enhance his or her chances for a successful recovery.

Five warning signs of stroke include:

1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially when it is limited to one side of the body
2. Sudden confusion; trouble speaking or understanding
3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
5. Sudden, severe headache with no known cause