PROVIDENCE STROKE PROGRAMS
RECEIVE TOP NATIONAL HONORS

Dec. 3, 2007 PORTLAND, Ore. - Stroke patients treated at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent medical centers receive some of the best care in the nation. Both medical centers have just been awarded the prestigious “Get With The Guidelines - Sustained Performance Awards” by the American Stroke Association. As of today, only 16 medical centers in the country have achieved this honor, known as the gold award, which recognizes two or more consecutive years of performance excellence.

Oregon has the fifth highest stroke death rate in the country, making this recognition even more valuable to our community. "Receiving the GWTG gold award at two Providence hospitals is testimony to Providence Health & Services’ commitment to providing the best stroke care possible,” said Ted Lowenkopf, M.D., medical director of the Providence Stroke Center. “Providence has assembled a team of highly-qualified experts who work to save lives and improve patients’ outcomes during recovery.” The Providence stoke team includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventionalists, radiologists, nurses and therapists who can quickly diagnose patients and use the most technically advanced methods to remove clots, repair broken arteries that cause strokes, and restore blood flow to the brain.

Hospitals participating in the GWTG program must develop a comprehensive system for providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke when patients are admitted to the emergency department. When treating a stroke, every minute counts. "We have only three hours from onset of the first symptom to provide the only FDA-approved treatment for stroke. The clot-busting drug tPA is the only proven treatment we have to minimize the chance of suffering permanent brain damage and disability,” notes Lisa Yanase, M.D., medical director of the Providence Portland Stroke Center.

As a GWTG participant, Providence medical experts must also use the “teachable moment” - the window of time immediately after a person has had a stroke, when they are most likely to follow their doctor’s guidance. Studies show patients who are taught to manage their risk factors while in the hospital reduce their risk of a second stroke. Providence medical centers provide information on secondary stroke prevention by managing smoking, weight, diabetes, and cholesterol.

Providence Health & Services is seen as a regional and national leader in stroke management and treatment. Providence Stroke Center is the first nationally certified stroke center in Oregon and is actively engaged in clinical research. These results are already being used to improve stroke care in Oregon.

Providence Stroke Center, based at Providence St. Vincent and Providence Portland Medical Centers treats more than 1,000 patients a year. Providence St. Vincent is home to the region’s most advanced neuro-biplane suite. This minimally invasive technology provides physicians unparalleled three-dimensional-imaging of a patient’s brain's blood vessels to help remove blood clots or repair damage caused by strokes.

###

Providence Stroke Center, Oregon’s first JCAHO- certified program for stroke care, works in cooperation with the Oregon Stroke Center to provide round-the-clock acute stroke evaluation and cutting-edge treatment. Providence Stroke Center is part of the Providence Brain Institute. For more information, visit www.providence.org/brain.