Floyd Medical Center has demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients, and as a result, has been awarded national certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations.

“We’re very proud to achieve this distinction,” says Kurt Stuenkel, Floyd’s President and CEO. "The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for stroke care signifies that the services Floyd provides have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes.  It is the best signal to our community that the quality of care Floyd provides is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients."

Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Everyone should know these warning signs of stroke and teach them to others. Every second counts:

• Weakness
• Numbness in the face, arm or leg
• Trouble speaking
• Loss of vision
• Dizziness
• Loss of coordination
• Difficulty walking

Call 9-1-1 or get to a Primary Stroke Center immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Learn more about stroke warning signs.