Hospital Calls All To Stroke Screening, Talk

NEW MILFORD — New Milford Hospital, in conjunction with the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, invites community members to participate in a StrokeAlert! Screening on Thursday, May 14, from 10 am to 1 pm, in the main lobby of the hospital. No appointment is necessary.

Then, on May 14, at 6:45 pm in the hospital’s Robison Conference Rooms, a community health forum, “Know Stroke — Signs, Symptoms & Taking Action” will be presented by emergency medicine specialist Thomas Koobatian, MD, and neurologist Joan Puglia, MD.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. About 700,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means every 45 seconds, on average, someone in the United States has a stroke; and about every three minutes someone dies of a stroke. Women account for more than six in ten stroke fatalities.

Knowing your risk factors and making lifestyle changes can drastically reduce the risk of stroke. New Milford Hospital offers these programs to educate individuals about their risk factors and precautionary measures that should be followed.

The Stroke Alert! Screening offers a personal assessment of an individual’s personal scores, risk factors for stroke, and what actions should be followed.

“Know Stroke — Signs, Symptoms & Taking Action” is a lecture on what causes strokes, the importance of knowing your risk factors, and what lifestyle changes you can make to reduce those risks. Drs Koobatian and Puglia will also provide information on the critical importance of recognizing the symptoms and acting quickly when a stroke occurs.

These programs are free and open to the public. The screening will be held on a walk-in basis. Preregistration is requested for the evening lecture by calling (toll-free) 800-350-1595 or online at www.newmilfordhospital.org.