Many people think of stroke as involving the brain, but actually strokes have just as much to do with the heart and vascular system. Any interruption to the blood flow through the arteries caused by a blockage, blood clot or hemorrhage can cause the brain to temporarily or permanently lose oxygen, destroying brain cells. This is called cerebrovascular disease, a broad category that includes stroke as well as carotid stenosis, vertebral and intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations.
Mills-Peninsula Medical Center offers comprehensive care for stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases. This starts with prevention efforts to reduce your risk factors and extends through emergency care and recovery services to lessen stroke impact. Our specialized Primary Stroke Center has earned numerous awards, some of which include:
- The Get With the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, the highest-level award for stroke care given by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
- Primary Stroke Center Certification by The Joint Commission. This is the first advanced-level certification program designed to recognize primary stroke centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke patients.
- Five-Star Rating for the Treatment of Stroke from Healthgrades.
Our stroke center team includes highly trained doctors, surgeons, nurses and support staff dedicated to helping you and your family prevent, treat or recover from a stroke or other cerebrovascular event. Our Telestroke program allows people to be seen by stroke specialists 24 hours a day. At night, when a doctor is not available in person, Telestroke connects by telephone or video-conferencing with stroke care staff at Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center campus. We also have a Mobile Stroke Unit, a special ambulance staffed with stroke specialists who can diagnose and begin treatment on a person experiencing a stroke even before they reach the emergency room. Our high standards for immediate and comprehensive care, including full rehabilitation services, mean you have a much better chance of full recovery.
