St. Mary's Stroke Center

5 stroke survivors taking the next step with St. Mary's
Find out how St. Mary’s helped 5 stroke survivors take their Next Step...
stroke survivor Sally Baker starts Next Step 5k with St. Mary's Foundation
Sally recovers from a stroke at St. Mary's, then goes the extra mile by starting a 5k!
St. Mary's is ranked 1st in Stroke Care for all of Georgia

If you remember only one thing about stroke, remember this: Stroke is a medical emergency. If symptoms appear, call 911 immediately.

Stroke is a potentially deadly condition in which blood flow to portions of the brain is restricted. The result can be paralysis, blindness, loss of speech, coma and death.

Warning signs of stroke

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Call 911 immediately if someone begins showing symptoms of stroke!
Time lost is brain lost.

Treatment with the clot-busting drug tPA at St. Mary's can stop many strokes in their tracks. The sooner treatment begins, the more brain tissue can be saved. However, tPA must not be given to patients whose stroke is caused by a ruptured blood vessel, so fast, high-tech testing is vital. St. Mary's provides this testing in minutes, providing our patients with the best chance possible of a full recovery.

St. Mary’s is North Georgia’s first Certified Primary Stroke Center. In fact, St. Mary’s was one of the first 20 primary stroke centers to be certified in the nation, and was cited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as a model for other community hospitals seeking to improve stroke care.

St. Mary’s continuum of stroke care includes:

  • Emergency care.

    High-speed diagnostics and the most modern treatments available give physicians a better chance to stop a stroke cold.

  • Inpatient care.

    St. Mary’s Neuroscience Critical Care Unit and Neuroscience Nursing Unit provide staff and equipment specialized in stroke care.

  • Center for Rehabilitative Medicine.

    Athens’ only acute inpatient rehabilitation facility helps patients achieve their maximum level of ability.

  • Home health care.

    St. Mary’s brings nursing, rehabilitation, aides and more to the homes of eligible patients.

  • Outpatient rehab.

    St. Mary’s Outpatient Rehabilitation and Wellness centers help patients continue improving after leaving the hospital.

  • Preventive care.

    St. Mary’s offers a Wellness Center, annual Community Stroke Forum, nutritional counseling and more to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

St. Mary's has partnered with the Medical College of Georgia's REACH stroke program to further enhance stroke care. REACH enables St. Mary's neurohospitalists and Emergency Department physicians to interact live, 24 hours a day, with MCG's on-call neurologist via web-based video. REACH also allows St. Mary's to share diagnostic images and test results with the consultant in real time. Coupled with the expertise of St. Mary's neurohospitalists, REACH provides an unprecedented level of experience and speed for the care of stroke patients.

Learn more!

Check out Explaining Stroke, an interactive educational resource from the National Stroke Association.