Did you know that up to 80% of strokes are preventable, yet it is expected that nearly 795,000 people in the United States will have a stroke this year? The majority of those who survive a stroke will need some form of rehabilitation in their recovery process.
About the National Stroke Association
Mission
National Stroke Association’s mission is to reduce the incidence and impact of stroke. Founded in 1984, National Stroke Association is the first national non-profit to devote 100 percent of its efforts to stroke through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, research and support for stroke survivors and their families.
Prevention
• Prevention programs offer a number of dynamic screening tools to assess a patient’s level
of stroke risk, and prevention education materials to teach patients about stroke risk factors
and stroke symptoms (some materials also available in Spanish).
• STARS (Steps Against Recurrent Stroke) is a program that focuses on educating and
empowering stroke survivors and caregivers about the steps a person can take – with a
doctor’s help and advice – to reduce risk for a recurrent stroke by making lifestyle
modifications and managing medical conditions that increase stroke risk.
• Public Health Outreach allows National Stroke Association to partner with state and local
public health departments to spread stroke prevention messages using the expertise and
distribution channels of the public health sector.
• Prevention Guidelines were published in JAMA in 1999 by some of the world’s leading
stroke experts providing the gold standard in primary stroke prevention guidelines. National
Stroke Association published the Recurrent Stroke Prevention Guidelines in 2004 to aid
primary care providers with information on best practices in preventing stroke in stroke
survivors.
• Hip Hop Stroke was a successful school-based National Stroke Association initiative to
educate the nation’s school children on stroke prevention and recognition of stroke
symptoms. The program is being refined to be used as an online, interactive program.
Acute Treatment
• Stroke Center Network (SCN) is a membership program of clinicians, researchers and
facilities committed to developing stroke centers of excellence. Through a wide range of
member-only benefits, the program offers education, materials and support to improve the
quality of stroke prevention and care from the acute phase through rehabilitation.
• Stroke Rapid Response (SRR) is an online National Stroke Association program teaching
first responders and dispatchers to recognize stroke patients and treat stroke as a priority
emergency.
• Professional Society is an individual membership program that provides resources and
support to students and professionals who are dedicated to stroke prevention and quality
stroke care.
Rehabilitation/Recovery
• Stroke Rehab & Recovery Network (SRN) is a membership program for stroke rehabilitation professionals that provides the cutting-edge tools and resources necessary to advance post-stroke care. A sister program to Stroke Center Network, SRN offers a wide range of members-only benefits such as professional education programs, patient education materials and multiple networking opportunities.
• National Stroke Association provides guidance and support to stroke survivors, families and caregivers through literature and referrals to stroke support groups.
• To provide stroke survivors and their families with user-friendly and complete information on discharge from the hospital, National Stroke Association developed HOPE: The Stroke Recovery Guide. Distributed to rehabilitation hospitals across the country, the guide gives new survivors and their caregivers an effective tool to manage life after stroke.
• HOPE After Stroke is a series of in-person meetings. During 2009 and in an effort to reach a broader audience, National Stroke Association is designing more web-based educational opportunities for stroke survivors and caregivers. The Hope After Stroke Series is being crafted into a virtual experience to allow greater and easier attendance.
• Through the leadership of its Rehabilitation Advisory Board, National Stroke Association is spearheading the development of the leading guide for best practices in rehabilitation.
Advocacy & Community Outreach
• Public Health Summit brings together public health officials from around the country to an annual meeting discussing stroke issues and providing information to expand statewide stroke programs. In 2010, for the first time ever, this summit will be virtual to reach an unprecedented number of people.
• Through aggressive advocacy efforts, National Stroke Association has formed alliances with key governmental leaders such as mayors, governors and state legislators to elevate stroke in their agendas.
• Exhibitions and online medical webcasts throughout the year allow National Stroke Association to continue its efforts to educate both the public and medical professionals about stroke.
http://www.stroke.org
• Obtain information, resources and statistics on all aspects of stroke on National Stroke Association’s web site at http://www.stroke.org or by calling the hotline, 1-800-STROKES 1-800-787-6537). Valuable and potentially life-saving information is provided to the public on http://www.stroke.org through National Stroke Association’s brochures, fact sheets, and audio-visual materials on stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
StrokeSmart Magazine
• StrokeSmart magazine, the official publication of National Stroke Association, provides a forum to address critical issues for both consumers and professionals, to inform survivors about products and services that can enhance their lives and create new avenues for collaboration with other health organizations. This high-quality, four-color magazine is distributed quarterly to stroke survivors, caregivers, medical professionals and those at risk for stroke. (source http://www.stroke.org)
Click here to access a search-able database of the more than 500 Primary Stroke Centers that have been certified by The Joint Commission.