Newsroom

In observance of Stroke Awareness Month, New York Methodist Hospital will host Stroke Alert Day on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Hospital''s Medical Office Pavilion Lobby, located at 263 Seventh Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The event will offer free blood pressure and glucose screenings and information on stroke awareness. Health care professionals will also be on hand to answer questions.

According to the American Stroke Association, strokes kill nearly 150,000 people each year and accounts for one of every 16 deaths in the United States.

Time makes all the difference in the treatment of a stroke. That''s why treatment at New York Methodist Hospital is designed to make every minute count. The Hospital has a full team of neurologists and other specialists on-call so that stroke patients can receive the most appropriate care, 24 hours a day, at its state-designated Stroke Center. Rapid treatment with special drugs can actually stop a stroke in its tracks - and reverse symptoms like weakness, numbness and speech difficulties.

NYM was one of the first New York State-designated Stroke Centers and continues to be a leader in the field. The Hospital''s stroke care received an impressive five-star rating "the highest possible"in the 2006 Hospital Report Card Analysis by HealthGrades, an independent research firm. In addition to the five-star rating, NYM was awarded the 2006 HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award.

For more information or to find a physician associated with NYM''s Stroke Center, please call 866-DO-NEURO (866-366-3876). For details on Stroke Alert Day, contact the Department of Public Affairs at (718) 780-5367.