Allina's Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids receives stroke center certification
COON RAPIDS, Minn. 03/17/2010--Mercy Hospital is newly certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. This national designation identifies hospitals that offer the specialized care required by stroke patients – from early identification to immediate treatment and rehabilitation.
"Our Emergency Department is usually the way stroke patients come to Mercy," says Tom O'Connor, president of Mercy Hospital. "Stroke symptoms are a medical emergency that should be checked out immediately. Last year we treated more than 200 stroke patients and evaluated hundreds more to be sure they were not having a stroke."
Stroke warning signs
Warning signs of stroke come on suddenly. Don't wait to see if the symptoms pass. Every second counts!
Call 911 immediately if you have any of these symptoms:
- sudden numbness or weakness of face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body
- sudden confusion, trouble 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.
 Learn about stroke risk factors and prevention in our online manual.
Often referred to as a brain attack, a stroke happens when blood and oxygen flow to the brain is stopped or interrupted. It is important to get medical care quickly because time is brain. The faster stroke victims are treated, the less damage to the body and, especially, to the brain.
"Everyone at the hospital, including caregivers, housekeeping and maintenance staff, are trained to recognize when a patient (or visitor) is showing signs of a stroke," O'Connor says. "At that time, a Stroke Code, much like a Code Blue, directs a team of physicians, nurses and others to the patient's side in minutes."
The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification Program was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Other Allina hospitals that are certified stroke centers are Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis, United in St. Paul and Unity in Fridley. For more about stroke care throughout Allina Hospitals & Clinics, go to allina.com/stroke.
Low-cost stroke screenings on May 22
Stroke and heart patients in the Northwest Metro can be assured that they will receive the highest quality specialty care to help minimize long-term effects. Mercy offers screenings and education for the community and ongoing support for patients and families.
Low-cost stroke screenings will be held at Mercy Hospital on Saturday, May 22. For more information or to register, call toll-free 1-866-904-9962 or go to allina.com/classes.
More about Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is a non-profit hospital that serves the northwestern Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Mercy responds to a wide range of health needs with specialty services including cancer care, heart and vascular services, mental health services, orthopedics, neurosciences, surgery and women's and children's services.
In addition, Mercy's Heart & Vascular Center is one of only two Minnesota hospitals accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, and is consistently rated in the Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S. for Cardiovascular Care.
About The Joint Commission
An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. # # #
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