Stroke Care

Exceptional Stroke Care When Minutes Matter

At the Anna Jaques Hospital Emergency Department (ED), we provide fast, high-quality emergency care for stroke patients. Our collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Telestroke program makes this possible. We’re dedicated to minimizing stroke’s neurological impacts and helping you have the most meaningful recovery.

Stroke Signs & Symptoms

A stroke is a medical emergency. It occurs when oxygen-rich blood can’t reach your brain. If brain cells don’t get the blood they need, they die. And it can happen in minutes. This may result in serious disability. It may even lead to death.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke can help you get medical attention quickly. It might even save a life.

Be F.A.S.T. to Recognize a Stroke

The letters in FAST may help you identify a stroke and act on it. You should look for the following signs:

• Face Drooping – Is one side of the face drooping? Is it numb? Ask the person to smile. If the smile appears uneven, it might indicate a stroke.  
• Arm weakness – Does one arm seem weak or numb? Ask the person to raise their arms. Does one arm seem to drift downward? That’s a possible sign of stroke.  
• Speech problems – Is speech slurred?
• Time to Call 911 – If you think a stroke may be occurring, call 911 right away. Don’t wait. Make a mental note of the time symptoms started. Doctors will want to know.

More Symptoms to Know

In addition to the symptoms mentioned here, other symptoms to watch for include:

• Confusion, or problems with speaking or understanding others
• Severe headache of unknown cause
• Trouble walking, including problems with balance or coordination or dizziness
• Vision difficulties in one or both eyes
• Weakness or numbness affecting the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body

Our Telestroke Program

When you arrive at Anna Jaques with stroke symptoms, we quickly evaluate you. Our ED doctors have 24-hour access to board-certified neurologists at BIDMC. Using advanced video technology, we communicate face-to-face. Together, we examine you and discuss the best course of treatment.

The Telestroke program helps us determine if a stroke medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is right for you. This drug dissolves clots that cause some strokes. But it isn’t appropriate in all cases. Even if it is, we have a limited window in which to give it. Access to 24/7 Telestroke care helps us improve stroke treatment and save lives.