The Stroke Care Center Team at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take care of you:

• Renowned Neurosurgeons and Neurologists
• State-of-the-art technology for diagnosis and treatment
• Multidisciplinary team trained in stroke care

Point of Entry – The Emergency Department

Because every minute counts when someone is experiencing stroke symptoms, the point of entry for stroke patients is the hospital’s Emergency Department.

When a patient arrives in the Emergency Department, the Acute Stroke On-Call Team – consisting of neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, lab staff and imaging technologists - is activated with one call. This team begins immediate evaluation to determine the appropriate medical or surgical intervention for the situation.

Throughout their stay, patients are treated by highly trained staff members that specialize in caring for stroke patients – from the neurosurgeons, neurologists, nurses and rehabilitation therapists to the discharge planners that arrange for continued care and support after you leave the hospital. 

Time is important when you’re having a Stroke

Minutes Count! There are treatments that may reduce the risk of damage from a stroke but only if you get help quickly – within 3 hours from onset of symptoms.

Additional treatments may be available between 3 to 6 hours from the onset of symptoms if the medical situation is appropriate.

Warning Signs of Stroke

Call 911 and come to the Emergency Department at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital if you, or someone you’re with, have one or more of these warning signs:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in face, arm or leg – 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.

Not all warning signs occur with every stroke. Don’t ignore symptoms if they go away. Still seek medical help.

Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital has received
the JCAHO Gold Seal of Approval™ and
Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke.

The Stroke Care Center at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval™ and achieved Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). 

• Only hospital in Western New York to achieve this certification.
• Less than 1% of the 5,700 hospitals in the United States have received this certification.
• The Joint Commission evaluated the hospital on its compliance with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art national standards and performance measurement expectations for the management of chronic care illnesses.
• Taken into account was physician and staff skill in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke victims.

“This designation recognizes the full continuum of care provided by the many areas of the hospital that comprise the Stroke Care Center”, said Mike Nagowski, president of Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital. “The accreditation process is a comprehensive independent evaluation of the stroke care that we provide in Western New York. “

“Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification assures consumers and purchasers that the stroke care program is committed to quality and safety excellence,” said Maureen Connors Potter, executive director for the Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program. “It is the Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality and safety.”

The Joint Commission has more than 50 years of recognized and respected experience and expertise in evaluating clinical care quality in all types of health care settings.

Peer Visitation Program

Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital is pleased to be a part of the “Peer To Peer” Visitation Program sponsored by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Trained “peer visitors” made up of stroke survivors or caregivers come and offer information, encouragement and hope to patients and families affected by stroke. Using their own experiences, these volunteers address the mental, physical and emotional changes that occur and provide guidance and support to newly diagnosed stroke patients while they are still in the hospital.

Information About Stroke

- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
- There are 3 million stroke survivors.
- It is the leading cause of adult disability.
- Someone in America has a stroke every 45 seconds.
- Someone in America dies of a stroke every 3 minutes.
- It is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects arteries leading to and within the brain.
- A stroke is a Cerebrovascular Accident  or “Brain Attack”.

A stroke occurs when there is a sudden interruption of the blood supply to the brain. When this happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and the oxygen it needs and so it starts to die.

Ischemic Stroke is caused by an abrupt blockage of the arteries leading to or in the brain, often caused by a clot or fatty deposits (plaque) in an artery. 70% -80% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.

Hemorrhagic Stroke is caused when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a “mini stroke” with symptoms that only occur for a short period of time. If you have had a TIA, there is a higher risk of having a stroke at a later time.

Prevention - Risk Factors That You CAN Control:
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Diabetes (high blood sugar)
Heart Disease
Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
High Cholesterol
Atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty deposits in arteries)
Smoking
Excessive use of alcohol
Physical inactivity
Obesity

Prevention – Risk Factors That You CANNOT Control:
Increasing Age
Gender
Heredity (family history)
Race
Previous stroke, TIA or heart attack