Stroke awareness seminars & screenings offered locally

Posted: 10:30 pm, May 3, 2014 by Reporter Meagan Friberg

Twin Cities Community Hospital offers three sessions in May

Every 40 seconds, there is a new victim of stroke in the United States according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association; 80 percent of these strokes may have been prevented. In light of these alarming statistics and in honor of the annual American Stroke Month campaign to increase stroke awareness and prevention, Twin Cities Community Hospital will offer a series of three, free stroke awareness seminars and screenings to the public in May.

The Free Stroke Awareness Events will consist of 15-minute informational sessions given by a TCCH physician who will cover topics such as: warning signs and symptoms of strokes; the differences in women’s and men’s stroke symptoms; how to help prevent a stroke; multicultural stroke facts, and a question-and-answer session. Seminars will be followed by a free cholesterol/non-fasting screening and a blood pressure screening for guests 40 years of age or older.

“Taking 129,000 lives per year, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the top preventable cause of disability in the U.S.—yet many people do not think of stroke as a major health concern,” says TCCH Employee Health Nurse Missy Craft. “In fact, a third of Americans don’t know any of the warning signs of stroke and more than half don’t know if they are at risk. Twin Cities Community Hospital is partnering with the American Stroke Association to help our local community better understand and protect against this dangerous, preventable and treatable disease.”

Stroke Awareness Events will take place on the following dates:

May 14, 10 a.m. at Twin Cities Hospital/Morgan Conference Center, Templeton; Physician: Nelson Yamagata MD, Neurology
May 14, 5:30 p.m. at Urgent Care by Twin, Paso Robles; Physician: Lisa Vasak MD, Internal Medicine
May 20, 5:30 p.m. at Central Coast Health Center, Atascadero; Physician: Pat Snyder MD, Internal Medicine

Space is limited, advanced registration is recommended; call (805) 434-4965. For more information about American Stroke Month, visit www.strokeassociation.org. For information about Twin Cities Community Hospital visit www.twincitieshospital.com