Stroke Center

The Primary Stroke Center at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn

The East Valley now has a centrally located Primary Stroke Center of its own: Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn. The hospital recently received Primary Stroke Center designation and is the eighth Phoenix-area healthcare organization to meet 12 major aspects of acute stroke care required by the American Stroke Association.

As a Primary Stroke Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn meets high standards of care for the treatment of acute stroke, giving patients a better chance to recover with fewer disabilities.

Our comprehensive stroke-care program helps us personalize health. It includes in-house rehabilitation services, community-based stroke education and prevention programs and a stroke-caregiver support group to help individuals find the help they need. For more than a year prior to its inclusion to the Primary Stroke Center network, the hospital followed guidelines recommended by the American Stroke Association to improve overall care for stroke patients.

Time is of the essence in cases of stroke. The hospital has a specially trained team of physicians, nurses, therapists and technicians available 24/7 to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment. State-of-the-art imaging equipment is accessible round the clock. Other critical elements of emergency stroke care include coordinated communication between paramedics and hospital staff.

Stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by a clot or blood vessel leakage. Deprived of oxygen, the brain begins to die, causing disabilities such as paralysis, vision and language problems, and possibly death.

Though stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death, many people are not aware of the warning signs. Fewer than five percent of stroke sufferers make it to a hospital in time to receive optimal care, according to the American Stroke Association.

Symptoms of stroke strike quickly. They include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; and a sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Those who experience symptoms should immediately call 911. From there, emergency medical services (EMS) staff know which area hospitals are Primary Stroke Centers offering 24-hour critical stroke care.