TOLEDO, Ohio — ProMedica Toledo Hospital's Stroke Team is receiving national recognition for going above and beyond in their care efforts.
Approximately 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year, with one in four survivors having the chance of another one. These statistics alone make strokes the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S.
Each year, The American Stroke Association holds a Stroke Hero Awards to honor individuals and groups with both outstanding progress and continued resilience. The organization recently announced ProMedica Toledo Hospital's Stroke Team as one of it's many winners for 2023.
The team was given the National Voters' Choice Hero award for not only providing care and support to patients, but also for raising awareness of stroke symptoms and treatment and advocating for policies that improve stroke care. The Voter’s Choice Award is selected via online votes.
“We are extremely honored and grateful to accept this award from the American Stroke Association,” said Julie Shawver PA-C – ProMedica Toledo Hospital Stroke Coordinator and ProMedica Regional Telestroke Development Coordinator. "This award is a great testament to our work and we cannot wait to see how this team continues to positively impact stroke care for years to come!”
The team's lasting impacts can be seen across Ohio and around the globe.
Along with caring for patients, the Stroke Team also hosts a local BE FAST 5K Run/Walk to raise donations and awareness for the Stroke Patients’ Assistance Fund, they also implemented a countywide program to train emergency medical service personnel on the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) Score.
Put into effect in 2015, the RACE assessment tool speeds up the process of identifying and transferring patients with moderate to severe stroke symptoms.
For more information on strokes and their symptoms, click here.