Every minute counts – stroke team

Team works against the clock to minimize stroke damage

By: Nickie Doria

The UF Health Shands Comprehensive Stroke Center team cares for more than 1,000 stroke patients per year. That’s almost three stroke cases per day. UF Health Shands Hospital is among only 2 percent of hospitals in the country with a comprehensive stroke center certified by The Joint Commission. This certification recognizes hospitals that have state-of-the-art infrastructure, experienced staff and specialized training to receive and treat all patients, including those with the most complex strokes. When someone has a stroke, physicians have minutes to determine what kind of damage is being caused to the brain and how they can stop, or even reverse it.

What happens when a stroke alert is activated?
Emergency medical services personnel or UF Health ShandsCair staff notifies the UF Health Shands E.R. team when they are in route with someone suffering from a stroke — they issue a stroke alert. A critical care team in the E.R. prepares for the patient’s arrival. This team includes critical care nurses, attending and resident physicians, fellows, radiologists, pharmacists and technicians.

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