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Clinical Services - Stroke Center subpage_title_arrow

Stroke Center

The mission of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Stroke Center is to provide timely access to optimal, evidence-based, standardized care which reduces the risk and burden of stroke through prevention, detection, intervention and education for our patients and the surrounding community.

We take a multi-disciplinary approach to the care of all stroke and TIA patients: working closely with neurologists, critical care physicians, nurses, inpatient therapists and case management. Additionally, our stroke unit staffs receive year round stroke-specific education to ensure that you receive the best evidenced care available.

For more information about stroke and its prevention, we recommend the following websites:


Related Content
Click below to watch the Healthwise segments about stroke awareness.

Click here to listen to the WINA LiveWell segment on strokes.

Recognizing the Signs of a Stroke

Did you know that:

  • Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the #1 cause of adult disability.
  • Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable.
  • You have only a limited amount of time from the onset of stroke to receive t-PA, a lifesaving treatment.

Strokes happen suddenly!

If you think someone is having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and perform this simple test:

FACE...When smiling, does one side of the face droop?

ARM...When raised, does one arm drift downward?

SPEECH...Does the speech sound slurred or strange?

TIME...If you observe any of these signs, it's time to CALL 911!

Other less known symptoms of stroke include sudden vision changes or an abrupt onset of the worst headache of your life.

If you or someone you know is experiencing acute onset of symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately by calling 911.

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Stroke Care at Martha Jefferson Hospital

The most effective stroke treatments can only be given within the first few hours after a stroke has occurred. At Martha Jefferson Hospital, we offer intravenous tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms for patients suffering from an ischemic stroke. tPA dissolves the clots that cause ischemic stroke.

Of course, the best treatment for stroke is prevention.

The risk factors for stroke include: diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), a history or new onset of irregular heart beats (atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter) and a family history of stroke.

To help you avoid a stroke, we can help you address your risk factors for stroke, and offer ways to modify those risks. Martha Jefferson offers dietary counseling, diabetic counseling, tobacco cessation counseling, as well as medications that are available to treat those risk factors not responsive to lifestyle changes.

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