MANHASSET, NY -- According to the American Stroke Association, about 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke, which means that on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. Stroke can strike anyone at any age, including children.

In recognition of May’s National Stroke Awareness Month, North Shore-LIJ hospitals will host “The Many Faces of Stroke” educational awareness program and stroke screening on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at North Shore University Hospital, 300 Community Drive, Rust Auditorium, Manhasset, NY. Free blood pressure screenings will take place between 6 and 7 p.m. Informational materials will be available, along with light refreshments. The educational awareness program will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. North Shore-LIJ physicians and staff will talk about the following: the signs and symptoms of stroke; stroke in young adults; innovative stroke treatments including bypass and endovascular procedures; and, about the newly initiated telestroke program.

Stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen and nutrients to the brain either bursts or is clogged by a blood clot. When a rupture or blockage occurs, parts of the brain don’t get the blood and oxygen they need. Without oxygen, nerve cells in the affected area of the brain can’t work properly, and die within minutes and the parts of the body they control also cannot work. Sudden symptoms of stroke include numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion or trouble speaking; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance; and sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

“In the case of stroke, every minute counts and it is vitally important to call 911 as soon as symptoms occur and be taken to the nearest stroke-designated hospital for life-saving treatment,” said Richard Libman, MD, chair of North Shore-LIJ’s stroke task force and chief of vascular neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. “A clot busting drug called tPA is only effective when given within the first three hours of the initial appearance of stroke symptoms. If tPA is administered in this crucial window of time, the chance of a complete recovery is 30 to 50 percent.”

The North Shore-LIJ Health System has 10 hospitals that have been designated stroke centers by the New York State Department of Health, including seven community hospitals. They are:

• North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset
• LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park
• Lenox Hill Hospital
• Staten Island University Hospital
• Southside Hospital
• North Shore-LIJ community hospitals: Forest Hills, Franklin, Glen Cove, Huntington, Plainview and Syosset

 In addition, all of the North Shore-LIJ hospitals noted above have received American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Quality Achievement Awards, recognizing the hospitals commitments and successes in implementing a
higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment in accordance with the latest-evidence based guidelines.

For a complete listing of North Shore-LIJ hospitals who will be hosting their own hospital specific stroke screening, visit http://www.northshorelij.com/community, and click community wellness programs.

For more information about stroke prevention and treatment, visit http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Neurovascular+and+Stroke+Institute.

 Contact: Michelle Pipia-Stiles
516-570-4406
Mpipiastil@nshs.edu