UT Health Tyler earns achievement award for treating stroke victims

UT Health Tyler has received the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for its continued success in using national stroke treatment guidelines when treating patients, publicity officials said.

"We are very pleased to receive this award," said Brian Brennan, vice president with the UT Health East Texas Neurological Institute. "UT Health Tyler recognized many years ago when we became a certified primary stroke center how important it is to have the best possible treatment protocols in place for these types of patients."

In order to receive this award, Brennan said hospitals must reach a goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care as outlined by the AHA/ASA for two consecutive years.

Also, those hospitals have demonstrated 75 percent compliance during the 12 month period.

UT Health Tyler uses mobile technology to quickly activate its neurointerventional team to allow for faster care for stroke patients.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

A stroke is an interruption of the flow of blood to the brain.

Symptoms of a stroke include:

-- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg; especially one side of the body.

-- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech.

-- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

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

-- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

You should call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these symptoms occur.

Formed in 2018 through the combination of East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through a network that includes 10 hospitals, more than 50 physician clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 45 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including a Level 1.