 The American Stroke Association recognized Enloe Medical Center for achieving at least two years of 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines program quality indicators to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.
Read our news release for details.
Brain attack: A personal story
Brain researcher shares her stroke experience: The audience for the Thursday, May 15 Brain Attack event at Enloe Medical Center enjoyed viewing part of a video by brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor, who studied her own stroke as it happened and now speaks about the experience.
To see the full lecture by Jill Bolte Taylor, visit this Ted.com webpage
Stroke Program
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability. But fast treatment can prevent or reduce disability. If you think you’re having a stroke, it’s important to call 9-1-1 or get to the emergency room immediately.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of a stroke is based on a patient’s medical history, physical exam and diagnostic testing. A full range of modern diagnostic tests is available at Enloe Medical Center.
- Urgent Computed Tomography (CT), scanning of the brain, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for rapid diagnosis of both hemorrhagic (bleeding) and ischemic (blood vessel blockage) strokes. CT Angiography, a rapid non-invasive examination to help doctors visualize the blood flow in the blood vessels to locate abnormalities and to plan emergency treatments. Such tools are extremely important for implementing modern ”clot-busting” therapies for stroke.
- Enloe Medical Center patients also have access to the latest in MRI technology, including sensitive Diffusion Imaging and MR Angiography. Diffusion Imaging is a powerful technique for detecting even the smallest strokes in the brain, ones that were previously invisible on standard MRI and CT images. Additionally, Enloe Medical Center has a wide range of ultrasound diagnostic services, including carotid ultrasonography and echocardiography. Specialized, sensitive echocardiograms are increasingly being used to identify heart abnormalities that may lead to stroke. All combined, these powerful diagnostic techniques give our doctors valuable information that may be used to help prevent a recurrent stroke.
Treatment
Calling 911 is important! Fast treatment can prevent or reduce disability. Patients who arrive at Enloe within a short time after onset of their stroke may be candidates to receive modern “clot-busting” treatments that help open blocked blood vessels and restore blood flow to the brain. To determine eligibility for this type of treatment, known as thrombolytics, highly trained Enloe Emergency Physicians and Neurologists will rapidly assess the patient and expedite CT scanning and blood tests.
Stroke patients at Enloe have access to some of the latest medical and surgical techniques for acute stroke treatment and prevention. The wide range of specialty and primary care services available include Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Vascular Surgery and Cardiology .
Recovery and education
Enloe Medical Center has a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient Rehabilitation Center, an extremely important link in the chain of recovery after a stroke. Enloe Medical Center also sponsors Stroke Education programs for the public, our patients and local professionals.
Clinical trials
Enloe Medical Center is participating in national FDA-approved clinical trials in acute stroke treatment and prevention. Clinical trials like these give our patients the opportunity to access technologies, medicines and expertise often found only in major teaching hospitals. We are dedicated to supporting clinical stroke research and investing in the future by working hard toward a cure.
Quality of care
Enloe is participating in the American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines Program. The goal of the program is to improve the overall quality of care for stroke patients by improving acute stroke treatment and preventing future strokes and cardiovascular events. Get With The Guidelines – Stroke was developed to help hospitals employ proven evidence-based treatment guidelines, including those developed by the American Stroke Association, American Heart Association and Brain Attack Coalition. These guidelines address acute stroke management, primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, secondary prevention of strokes and the establishment of primary stroke centers.
Symptoms of stroke
Learning the signs of stroke can save your life or the life of someone you know, or help prevent a disability. Remember, if you think you’re having a stroke, it’s important to call 9-1-1 or get to the emergency room immediately.
Face – Does the face look uneven? Ask the person to smile.
Arms – Does one arm drift down? Ask the person to raise both arms
Speech – Does their speech sound strange? Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase, for example, “The sky is blue.”
Time – If you observe any of these signs, then it’s time to call 9-1-1.
Other symptoms:
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Sudden weakness on one side of the body
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Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
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Sudden trouble seeing
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Sudden trouble walking or loss of balance
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Sudden severe headache
If a stroke is caused by a large blood clot or bleeding, symptoms occur within seconds. This is what happens in the vast majority of cases. When a stroke is caused by an artery that is already narrowed or blocked, symptoms usually develop gradually within minutes or hours, or rarely, days. However, symptoms of a small stroke may be attributed to normal aging or confused with other conditions that cause similar symptoms. Whichever type of stroke, it is imperative to seek treatment immediately by calling 9-1-1 or getting to an emergency room right away.
Risk factors and prevention
Many factors can put people at a greater risk for stroke. These include:
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High blood pressure (hypertension)
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Diabetes
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High cholesterol
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Heart disease (including a rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation)
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Prior history of stroke
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Tobacco use
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Excess alcohol use
It is important to consult your doctor to discuss your risk. Many risk factors are treatable and many causes of stroke are preventable.
Educational links
Enloe’s stroke team
- Michael O’Brien, MD, PhD, Director (251 Cohasset Road, Suite 310, Chico, CA 95926 - 530. 332.3980)
- Sherry Wirt, RN, Coordinator and Educator (530.332.3981)
- Sandra Parsons, RN, CRRN, Coordinator and Educator (530.332.3981)
Other professionals on a patient’s stroke team include:
- Neurologists
Stephen Forner, M.D. - 530.894.3330
Taiji Kawazu, M.D. - 530.343.0285
Joel Rothfeld, Ph.D., M.D. - 530.342.2091
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Out of Area Neurologists
Andrew Brasch, M.D. (Paradise) - 530.877.2578
- Emergency physicians
- Primary care physician and hospitalists
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Neurosurgeons
Bruce L. Burke, M.D. - 530.895.3333
Jeffrey Lobosky, M.D. - 530.895.3333
Jeffrey Mimbs, D.O. - 530.895.3333
- Radiologists
- Cardiologists
- Vascular Surgeons
Denis Westphal, M.D. - 530.345.9455
Eugene Eddlemon, M.D. - 530.345.9455
- Other Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Nursing Assistants
- Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists
- Medical Social Workers, Chaplains, Case Managers and Dietitian
Contact information
Enloe Medical Center Stroke Program
1531 Esplanade
Chico, CA 95926
530.332.3981
(If you think you are having a stroke, please call 9-1-1 immediately.)
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