Community members joined medical providers last week for a wide-ranging discussion about stroke prevention and care as Carthage Area Hospital continued its 2017 Community Engagement Series.
About 32 residents attended the free public health event, “Stroke Awareness: Always Hope,” at the Carthage Elks Lodge, 511 Fulton St.
“It is encouraging when we see members of our communities engage in a forum about such a frightening and confusing health emergency as stroke,” said Natalie Burnham, Carthage Area Hospital director of patient, community and employee engagement. “It means more people are investing time in their health and learning potentially life-saving information.”
Stroke is among the five leading causes of death in the United States, responsible for about 130,000 fatal cases annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Stroke Association recommends people use the letters in the word “FAST” to spot stroke signs and know when to call 911. “F” stands for face drooping — look for signs of an uneven smile in a would-be stroke case. “A” is for arm — check to see is one arm is weak. “S” is for speech, reminding people to listen for slurred speech in potential stroke victims. “T” is for time to signal a call to 911 right away.
Last week’s forum featured four speakers from the hospital’s medical staff who discussed a range of stroke-related topics, including: Dr. Leilani Garcia, an internal medicine specialist and Hospitalist Program director, who presented “Stroke: Everything you should and need to know;” Susie Kim, MS, RD, CDN, a Board Certified Nutrition Support Clinician, who discussed the role of nutrition in stroke prevention and treatment; Dr. Cheryl Tousant, PT, director of physical therapy, who addressed physical activity, its impact on stroke prevention, and physical rehabilitation after a stroke; and Dr. Christopher Bradley, PharmD, MBA, who presented “Stroke prevention: A pharmacist’s perspective.”
The next event, “Brews and Bros,” is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Carthage Elks Lodge, 511 Fulton St., which will focus on a wide range of men’s health issues. The event will include complimentary light food and beverages.
Space is limited. Call 315-493-1000, ext. 5209, to reserve your seat today or register online at www.carthagehospital.com/bros. The deadline to RSVP is Friday, June 23. WWNY TV 7 and WNYF Fox 28 is a proud media sponsor of the hospital’s 2017 Community Engagement Series.
About the Series
Carthage Area Hospital’s 2017 Community Engagement Series is a population health initiative aimed at educating residents in the hospital’s 83,000-person service area of Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties. Each month, from April through December, the hospital features a different health topic to empower residents to make more informed decisions about their health and wellness and care.
Dates and topics for the remaining events are: Wednesday, July 26, “Immunization Requirements for School and College;” Thursday, July 26, “Healthy Babies — Healthy Moms (hospital courtyard, 1001 West St.);” Wednesday, Sept. 27, “Women’s Health Fair;” Wednesday, Oct. 25, “Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m.); Wednesday, Nov. 15, “Diabetes Prevention and Education (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.);” and Wednesday, Dec. 6, “Handling Holiday Stress.”
All events are at the Carthage Elks Lodge from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted above, and include complimentary light food and beverages.
About Carthage Area Hospital
Carthage Area Hospital was established as a not-for-profit rural community hospital in 1965. It operates today as a fully accredited 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, serving approximately 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis and southern St. Lawrence counties.
The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic and Women’s Way to Wellness and provides a range of specialty care, including general surgery, orthopedics, urology, physical therapy and behavioral health.