Bayfront Institute of Neurosciences

Stroke Alert Team

Neurology Services Links:

Brain Injury  Program

Epilepsy Program

Gamma Knife

Neurodiagnostics

Neurosurgery

Sleep Lab

Spinal Cord Injury Program

Stroke Alert Team

Stroke Rehab Program

Support Groups

NEW Surgical Suites

Bayfront Medical Center has been awarded the national Gold Seal of Approval™ for stroke care from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Bayfront is the first hospital in south Pinellas County to earn JCAHO’s Primary Stroke Center Certification.

Bayfront earned this national award after JCAHO conducted a recent onsite review of its stroke program. During the review, Bayfront demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.

As a Primary Stroke Center, Bayfront offers comprehensive treatment from emergency care to rehabilitation; and features state-of-the-art evaluation, neuro-imaging and clot-dissolving treatments.

Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third-leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.

The JCAHO Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s guidelines for stroke care. JCAHO is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.

How Bayfront Responds

At Bayfront, a stroke is considered a "brain attack" and treated as a 911 emergency.

Bayfront’s Stroke Alert Team quickly assembles to bring together the best health care professionals and the latest medical technology. That includes immediate and expert evaluation of symptoms in the emergency department, fast turnaround on lab tests, readily available diagnostic imaging equipment and prompt treatment with medication that dissolves blood clots. The goal is to stop or minimize damage to the brain as quickly as possible.

Like a heart attack, every second counts when you or a loved one may be having a stroke. Learn the warning signs and don’t delay in getting treatment at a qualified hospital.

Stroke warning signs:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause (not a migraine).

For a free stroke kit from Bayfront Medical Center, please call (727) 895-DOCS.