Your dollars help the North Carolina Stroke Association in its work to reduce stroke incidence and impact by:
1) Increasing public awareness through stroke risk screenings and education on stroke risk factors and stroke symptoms; and,
2) Enhancing post-stroke survivor and caregiver quality of life.
Who are we? The North Carolina Stroke Association is a 501(c) (3) organization that was founded in 1998 by a group of physicians and lay persons in their collective response to the increasing prevalence of stroke and its attendant disabilities.
Why is Stroke a problem? Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death. Annually, over 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke. Every 45 seconds, in the United States, someone suffers a stroke. North Carolina ranks 7th in the nation for stroke death. It is a form of cardiovascular disease which also causes heart disease. Unlike heart disease stroke disables more than it kills. An estimated 5 million stroke survivors live with a wide range of disabilities. Approximately 30% of stroke
survivors are severely disabled, requiring extensive and costly care.
Faces of Stroke in North Carolina
How does my donation help?
The NC Stroke Association exports its programs to hospitals throughout the state for implementation. At present, thirteen hospitals and medical centers in NC operate the Stroke Association's programs, many with financial assistance from Stroke Association. The goal is to make these programs available in every county in the state.
With its focus on screening and education, NCSA created its Stroke Risk Identification Program to conduct screenings that identify individuals who are at high risk of stroke. Through this primary prevention program, health care professionals can review the screening outcomes with participants, counsel them on what interventions are needed to help prevent stroke, and give information on community medical resources for intervention treatment. Some are referred to community care clinics and receive follow-up phone calls to make certain they have sought care. Those who exhibit the most serious risk factors are sent immediately to their local hospital emergency departments.
A hospital can screen 800 individuals annually for stroke risk at a cost of about $20,000, including personnel expenses. The prevention of just two strokes per year enables the program to pay for itself in reduced costs of continuing care.
In NC, stroke costs an estimated $1.05 billion each year.
"Stroke most often leads to dismal outcomes. Following a stroke, patients' issues become almost insurmountable. Many are not affected enough to require nursing home care, yet their disabilities result in ongoing, daily dependency on others which takes an economic and emotional toll on micro and macro levels. Unlike other chronic health conditions, stroke impairment amplifies the social isolation for both the stroke survivor and the caregiver. The prevailing motto among healthcare professionals is: The best way to treat a stroke is to prevent one from happening."
Beth Parks, Executive Director
North Carolina Stroke Association
Beyond the Hospital is NCSA's post-stroke program that educates patients on secondary stroke prevention and on post-stroke issues. The program provides a patient education manual and includes three-month follow-up interviews to stroke patients to help ensure improved care. Not only the patient, but his or her family and caregivers, as well, benefit from this program of education and adaptation. Quality patient education leads to improved medical outcomes, better quality of life and reduced risk of repeat strokes.
Hospitals and medical researchers benefit from NCSA programs, as well. Data from the Stroke Risk Identification Program and from Beyond the Hospital are provided to hospitals and include high-risk participant screening results and contact information for the hospitals to use for follow-up. Hospitals use this data to improve the quality of care, measure performance and support ongoing research into stroke prevention.
"Beyond the Hospital includes follow-up to measure how effective the education was, allowing an opportunity for real quality improvement to better educate patients and families about stroke and how to avoid another one. Through this program, any hospital, whatever size, can now carry out true quality improvement based on objective outcomes, with the potential to significantly improve stroke care in North Carolina."
Dr. Charles Tegeler, Neurologist
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC
In 2007, NCSA created its NC Partnership Grant Program which offers grants to hospitals to conduct NCSA programs. In addition, twice each year, NCSA publishes Update Stroke, a newsletter that provides post-stroke education to thousands of stroke survivors.
What percentage of donations fund program development and maintenance? The NC Stroke Association uses 100% of its donations to fund, administer, and maintain its various programs.
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