Stroke is the number five cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. As May is Stroke Awareness Month, Swedish Covenant Hospital is hosting an informative event to discuss common and uncommon stroke warning signs and when to act and what to do.
The hospital’s multi-disciplinary stroke team is equipped to address patients’ needs. The expert staff utilizes quality, evidence-based care to identify, treat and transfer stroke patients to appropriate levels of care. This care is enhanced by the speed of our stroke team’s response, promptness of lab and cat scan results and implementation of risk reduction measures in stroke patients.
We encourage everyone in the community to know the signs of stroke, including:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion or 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
If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Upcoming Stroke Awareness Discussion: If You Had a Stroke, Would You Know?
The hospital is also hosting a stroke awareness discussion titled, “If You Had a Stroke, Would You Know?” Katie Lord, stroke program coordinator at Swedish Covenant Hospital, will discuss the unusual ways that strokes present themselves, common warning signs, when to act and what to do. The free event takes place Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. at Swedish Covenant Hospital, Galter Medical Pavilion, 5140 N. California Ave., in the Women's Health Center, 4th floor. For more information, please call
773-878-6888 or please click here to sign up:
Register Today!
At Swedish Covenant Hospital, we maintain an ongoing commitment to excellent stroke care and train to be prepared to quickly and accurately assess our stroke patients' needs. Our approach to stroke care:
• Swedish Covenant Hospital has been designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP). This status demonstrates our preparedness to safely address the needs of stroke patients in our community.
• Our multi-disciplinary stroke team—which includes members from our nursing, rehabilitation services, radiology, lab and medical staffs—provides a seamless continuum of care for patients from the moment they enter our Emergency Department until they return home to utilize our home health or outpatient services. The nursing staff in our Emergency Department, inpatient stroke unit and ICU/IMCU are all NIHSS certified, trained in identification and care plans for stroke patients.
•We recently earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
• Our ER telemedicine robot Sheldon allows our medical staff to partner with neurologists at Rush University Medical Center via video screens to quickly identify signs of stroke in patients and recommend treatment.
