National Recognition for Stroke Treatment
Valley Hospital was rated a High Performing Hospital for Stroke by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-2024. A high performer rating indicates a hospital was significantly better than the national average in a given procedure or condition.
Advanced Stroke Care
The Stroke Center at Valley Hospital can help patients address a number of physical, emotional and lifestyle issues.
Our Stroke Response Team is immediately deployed to evaluate and treat stroke emergencies. Our team-based approach enables us to provide streamlined treatment and services that can help improve patient outcomes. Your team may include emergency physicians and nurses, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, registered nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists and case managers.
Within hours of your initial diagnosis, you’ll be given a designated stroke care plan to help ensure that you receive the medical attention you need for the best possible outcome. When you are ready for discharge, our case managers will help arrange for any rehabilitation services you may need to help you continue your journey to recovery.
Quality Data
2021 Ischemic Stroke Volumes and Performance
Patient Type |
Number of Admissions |
Ischemic Stroke |
461 |
Intracerebral Hemorrhage |
104 |
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage |
23 |
Transient Ischemic Attack |
88 |
Total |
676 |
2021 Valley Hospital Performance Measures AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines
Stroke Performance Measures |
Compliance Rate* |
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis |
97.4% |
Discharge on Antithrombotic Therapy |
100% |
Anticoagulant Therapy at Discharge for AFIB |
100% |
IV Alteplase Given Within 3 Hours for Acute Stoke |
97.8% |
Antithrombotic Prescribed by Hospital Day 2 |
95.7% |
Statin Prescribed at Discharge |
100% |
Stroke Education |
98.1% |
Assessed for Rehabilitation |
99% |
*National Target Benchmark is above 90% Compliance
2021 Valley Hospital Stroke Outcomes
Overall Hemorrhagic Transformation (including IV Alteplase and Mechanical Endovascular Therapy) |
1% |
Valley Hospital Medial Center is proud to perform discharge follow-up with more than 90 percent of its stroke patients within seven days of discharge from the hospital to home and then again at 30 and 90 days of having a Thrombectomy and being discharged to home.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke is what occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked or stopped. Within a few minutes of a stroke, brain cells begin to die. According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US and can lead to long-term disability. Problems that can arise include weakness in an arm or leg after a small stroke to paralysis and loss of speech in larger strokes. This is why it's so important for someone who is having a stroke to get medical attention as quickly as possible.
Nearly 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stroke Types and Symptoms
There are two kinds of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. In ischemic stroke, the most common type, a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. In hemorrhagic stroke, a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain. Symptoms of a possible stroke include:
- Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg—especially on one side of the body
- Difficulty with speaking or understanding speech
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Severe headache with no known cause.
Act FAST
If you or someone you're with has any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately. Staff in the Emergency Department will administer acute stroke medications to try to stop a stroke while it is happening. Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, is treated with the 'clot-busting' drug known as tPA. The drug must be given to patients within three- to four-and-a-half hours after the onset of stroke symptoms, and preferably sooner.
Use the acronym FAST to quickly identify possible strokes:
Smile. Does one side of the face droop? Can you see the same number of teeth on each side of the face?
Hold up both arms for 10 seconds. Does one drift downward?
Repeat a simple sentence. Is the speech slurred or strange? Can you understand the person?
If these signs are present, every second counts. Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Preventing Stroke
The best way to keep your brain healthy is to avoid a stroke in the first place. Some ways to help prevent stroke are to do the following:
- Keep your blood pressure controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medications
- Don't smoke or stop smoking
- Take steps to manage your cholesterol
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
Get a Physician Referral
If you need a referral to a physician at Valley Hospital, call our free physician referral service at 800-879-0980.