Local Stroke Initiative Recognized Statewide for Life-Saving Efforts,LUFKIN, August 23, 2010 - Every forty seconds a person suffers a stroke in the United States.Living in the Stroke Belt, East Texans are at a higher risk to have a stroke than people in other parts of the country.That’s why Memorial Health System of East Texas and The Methodist Hospital in Houston teamed up to create the East Texas Stroke Initiative which educates the community on risk factors, signs, symptoms and treatment of stroke.As a result over the past year, our area has seen a 35 percent increase of patients treated for stroke during early onset of symptoms.
Delivering a dedicated, comprehensive stroke program for the community, the East Texas Stroke Initiative partnership is one of four “outstanding programs” recognized with a prestigious honor from the Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.
The Texas Cardiovascular Health Promotion Awardrecognizes community-based programs, schools, worksites, and health care entities that promote innovative and effective programs and policies for prevention and/or awareness of cardiovascular disease and/or stroke in Texas communities.
The East Texas Stroke Initiative, a partnership between Memorial Health System of East Texas and The Methodist Hospital in Houston, is one of four “outstanding programs” recognized with a prestigious honor from the Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.The Texas Cardiovascular Health Promotion Awardrecognizes community-based programs, schools, worksites, and health care entities that promote innovative and effective programs and policies for prevention and/or awareness of cardiovascular disease and/or stroke in Texas communities. John Brink, RN, Memorial Cardiovascular Center Nurse Manager, and Suzanne Monsour, Program Administrator for the East Texas Stroke Initiative, accept the plaque at a recent award presentation.
The Memorial and Methodist partnership identified the high incidence of stroke and mortality rates in the East Texas region.“When compared to statewide statistics, Angelina County’s cardiovascular disease and stroke prevalence rate is roughly double the state average,” said Suzanne Monsour, Program Administrator for the East Texas Stroke Initiative.“Many reasons, such as smoking, high fat diet, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and more, increase a person’s chance of suffering a debilitating or deadly heart attack or stroke.”
Through a widespread Community Education Initiative, the East Texas Stroke Initiative targets at-risk populations, EMS and other first responders, health care professionals and facilities, schools and large employers.Stroke prevention and recognition education is resulting in stroke symptom identification in patients and saving valuable time from the onset of symptoms to medical treatment.
Because of the generous support from the TLL Temple Foundation, Memorial Health System of East Texas and The Methodist Hospital, Houston, and specifically the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center, began creating in Lufkin a Center of Excellence for the care and treatment of the stroke patient. “The ultimate goal of the project is to create a ripple effect from Angelina County, across the entire region, dedicated to improving the health of East Texans,” stated Monsour.
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