minnesota department of health

Stroke care access expands to 94% of Minnesotans – A lifesaving leap forward

Stroke Awareness Month is a good time to learn warning signs of stroke

Angie Hammer, a 39-year-old mom of two and health care professional from Thief River Falls, wants everyone to know the signs of a stroke and for a good reason.

In April 2024, Angie was running errands when her speech slurred while speaking to a store employee. Angie brushed it off, thinking it was her chronic migraine acting up. She just needed to get home and sleep it off. But then she fell. The employee called 911 and an ambulance whisked Angie to Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center. Being a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) designated stroke ready hospital, the emergency medical team activated a precise step-by-step process that helped save Angie’s life.

In Minnesota, stroke care is now much more accessible than it once was. In 2012, only 60% of Minnesota’s population lived within 30 minutes of a designated stroke center. Now, 94% of Minnesotans live within a 30-minute drive of a designated stroke system hospital.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of disability in Minnesota. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly stopped. Strokes can lead to permanent disability and death. However, medication can help remove blockages and restore blood flow if given quickly. Access to that medication is essential and health outcomes improve for stroke victims when they can get to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

Because Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center is an Acute Stroke Ready designated hospital, they are equipped and prepared to treat stroke quickly. Since 2014, the Stroke Program at MDH has been improving stroke care and designating stroke hospitals. The program supports hospitals with ongoing education as well as strategies to identify stroke process improvements, protocols and more.

Facilities are designated as Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals, Primary Stroke Centers, Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Centers and Comprehensive Stroke Centers. MDH partners with the American Heart Association, hospitals, EMS agencies and many others to implement this coordinated system of care for Minnesota.

Merleen Knott, the stroke coordinator at Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center, makes sure the hospital meets the state stroke designation standards. “We have neurologists available by telehealth to help diagnose stroke. We have a multi-disciplinary team on call. Everything is already in place. That’s huge,” she said. “And part of being a stroke ready hospital, the expectation is that you review the care. We are always looking ahead at what we could do better or how we would change things.”

Minnesotans can find a hospital designated for stroke care at Minnesota Stroke System Designated Hospitals [ [link removed] ].

“I want everyone to know stroke symptoms,” Hammer said. “If I had just gone to sleep in my room, it would have been a completely different story. It can be easy to ignore symptoms, but if you notice anything out of the ordinary, pay attention. I also want people to know this does happen in younger people. It’s definitely not as rare as one would think.”

This Stroke Awareness Month, MDH is drawing attention to increasing stroke risk among younger, working-age adults. Approximately 30% of strokes occur among adults age 65 or younger. Although the mortality rates from stroke is decreasing among older adults, the mortality rate among these working-age adults is rising. Younger adults with high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for stroke, are less likely to have their high blood pressure controlled, and less likely to be taking blood pressure medications, which may contribute to this increase.

Stroke is an emergency and time lost can be brain loss. You can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe by recognizing the warning signs of stroke and calling 9-1-1. Care starts in the ambulance—by calling 9-1-1 you are readying an emergency medical team to save lives and treat suspected stroke.

An easy way to remember how to recognize a stroke is “*BE FAST*:”

*B *– Balance loss. Does the person have sudden loss of balance or coordination?
*E* – Eyesight changes. Is eyesight suddenly blurred or double? Is there a sudden loss of vision?
*F* – Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
*A *– Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
*S *– Speech difficulty. Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they are they hard to understand?
*T* – Terrible headache. Time to call 9-1-1. If the person shows ANY of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to a hospital immediately.

*-MDH-*

*Media inquiries:*
*Scott Smith*
*MDH Communications*
*651-503-1440*
*[email protected]* <[email protected]>

Bookmark and Share [ [link removed] ]

You can update or cancel your subscription at any time by editing your personal profile [ [link removed] ]. You will need your email address and your password (if you have selected one).

P.S. If you have any questions or problems please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ] for assistance. 

STAY CONNECTED: X logo [ [link removed] ]   MDH on X [ [link removed] ]   icon-facebook [ [link removed] ]   MDH on Facebook [ [link removed] ]   icon-linkedin [ [link removed] ]   MDH on LinkedIn [ [link removed] ]   icon-instagram [ [link removed] ] MDH on Instagram [ [link removed] ]  
________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Minnesota Department of Health · 625 Robert Street North · St. Paul MN 55155 · 651-201-5000 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]