Faxton-St. Luke’s Hospital Designated As Oneida County Stroke Center

The New York State Department of Health recently designated Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare as one of New York State’s 115 “Primary Stroke Centers” and the only stroke center in the Mohawk Valley.

A stroke is a medical emergency that is as serious as a heart attack. As many as 2,000,000 brain cells die every second that a stroke goes undiagnosed. Lost brain cells equal lost body function. The best treatment for a stroke is the administration of t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) within three hours of the stroke. Where a stroke is not treated within three hours of onset – whether because a patient does not go to the emergency department or because a patient’s symptoms are not diagnosed by a doctor – options to limit stroke damage are more limited’

Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare was awarded the Stroke Center designation because the hospital met NYSDOH standards, including the appropriate equipment, trained nurses and physicians, and procedures in place to diagnose individuals with stroke signs and symptoms within 60 minutes of presentation to the emergency department.

Remember, stroke heroes act F.A.S.T. FAST is an acronym for “F”ace, “A”rm, “S”lurred and “T”ime. A person suffering a stroke likely with have face droop, arm weakness or numbness, slurred speech, and time is critical.