mybonsecours
a stroke of good luck for those in need
Strokes can come on quickly and without warning. After a stroke, every second counts. Thankfully, good care is just right around the corner at any of the Bon Secours facilities throughout Hampton Roads. Bon Secours Hampton Roads is dedicated to providing integrated services in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients.
At Bon Secours, you or your loved ones will be seen, evaluated and treated within minutes of arriving in our emergency department.
early intervention
What's done in the first minutes or hours after a stroke may determine the patient's level of recovery. That's why Bon Secours treats every incoming stroke patient as an emergency. Patients arriving in any of our Emergency Departments who experience stroke symptoms are evaluated immediately for possible treatment with clot-busting medicines.
Bon Secours relies on organized teams of physicians, nurses and therapists to plan, implement, monitor and improve the care of patients who suffer from stroke. These teams work in collaboration with the medical centers' emergency departments and the community to ensure the prompt identification of stroke symptoms and the timely implementation of standardized treatments with the goal of reducing the long-term impact of stroke.
Our emergency medicine physicians have been trained in the assessment of acute stroke patients and work in collaboration with our stroke neurologists. Our clinical expertise in the rapid treatment of strokes can minimize the effects on a patient's nervous system. When a blood clot in the brain causes an acute ischemic stroke, the interventional team at Bon Secours DePaul can dissolve the clot or remove it using the latest technology and methods, including intra-arterial tPA and MERCI or Penumbra embolectomy devices.
an interdisciplinary approach
To provide advanced, comprehensive care for patients with stroke, the Bon Secours team consists of a neuroendovascular surgery specialist, who offers stroke patients minimally invasive interventional treatments to protect the brain, highly trained neurologists, imaging specialists, physical therapists, and experience clinical staff. This team can be accessed 24/7 in response to the Emergency Department, as well as other hospital departments, for urgent patient assessment.
Bon Secours also offers emergency room teleneurology. This system allows emergency room staff to page a remote, on-call stroke specialist any time of the day or night. Once connected, the stroke specialist can conduct a neurological assessment with the patient and evaluate their condition as if they were at their bedside. The process gives the doctor the information needed to make the most informed decision for immediate management of the patient's condition. Having a neurologist available at the touch of a button increases the ability to provide clot-busting drugs that can reduce the patient's chance of permanent disability following an acute stroke.
primary stroke centers
Our stroke centers at Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center and Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View have earned Primary Stroke Center certification from the Joint Commission on accreditation of health care organizations. This distinction recognizes Bon Secours' exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care and signifies the services provided at the hospital include the critical elements needed to achieve long-term success in improving stroke outcomes. Bon Secours Maryview and Bon Secours Harbour View were the first medical centers in Western Hampton Roads area to earn this prestigious designation.
every second counts
Statistics show that 50% of patients who are seen within a three hour window experience little to no physical or speech deficit. However, since the window starts closing when the patient was last seen in a normal neurological condition, quick identification of stroke is essential. Just remember to act F.A.S.T.:
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Face
Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop? -
Arms
Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? -
Speech
Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can the person repeat what was just asked correctly? -
Time
Call 911 immediately if the person shows any of these symptoms.
