CPMC receives stroke award, warns of symptoms

Cabinet Peaks Medical Center on Sept. 20 received the Montana Hospital Association’s Stroke Recognition Award, which “singles out Critical Access Hospitals that demonstrate that they have the infrastructure and commitment to provide high quality care for patients with acute stroke,” states a CPMC news release.

The facility is the 11th recipient since the award’s inception in 2011, and fulfilled requirements including “tracking and reporting key stroke outcomes, using outcomes data to initiate quality improvement activities, and coordinating regular healthcare provider stroke trainings,” the news release states.

The Medical Center reports that stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and a leading cause of death in Montana. and affected more than 2,000 Montana families last year.

“Symptom recognition and timely, high quality treatments are important factors in reducing death and disability from stroke,” the news release states.

Signs and symptoms of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg; sudden trouble seeing; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or trouble understanding; sudden loss of balance or coordination; and sudden severe headache with no known cause.

People are advised to call 911 in the event of experiencing or seeing someone experiencing symptoms, and can learn more about the affliction at www.strokeassociation.org.