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Stroke care

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. Every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke.

At Columbus Community Hospital, we are committed to helping people who experience a stroke achieve the best possible long-term outcomes. From emergency medical treatment to rehabilitation, we are the "where" for stroke care.

Comprehensive stroke care

CCH's emergency department offers comprehensive stroke care close to home, including:

The chances of surviving a stroke are much greater when treatment begins quickly, so it's important to learn the signs of stroke and act fast, calling 911 right away.

Could you be a stroke victim?

Anyone can have a stroke. While you can't control some risk factors, such as age, a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA, also called a mini-stroke) or heart attack, or a family history of stroke, you can work with your physician to control or treat other risk factors. These include:

  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • Physical inactivity
  • Extra weight and obesity
  • Tobacco use
  • Carotid or other artery disease
  • Atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) or other heart disease
  • Sickle cell disease

Watch for warning signs

Blood deprivation to the brain can affect a stroke victim's senses, motor activity, speech, and ability to understand speech and behavior. Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common. Even if symptoms are temporary and last only a few minutes, you should not ignore them. Call 911 if the following symptoms appear.

Know these sudden signs of stroke:

  • Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination
  • Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding
  • Severe headache with no known cause
  • Trouble seeing in one or both eyes

If you see someone experiencing these symptoms, take them directly to the nearest emergency department or call 911.

To learn more about preventing and treating strokes and TIAs, consult your physician.

Telestroke services

When a stroke happens, every minute counts. A lifesaving, clot-busting medicine is most effective when you receive it within three hours of a stroke. CCH's new telestroke program puts time on your side. When you arrive at CCH with stroke symptoms, you now have the advantage of a quick neurology consultation, within three minutes of arriving in the emergency department — and without leaving Columbus.

This new partnership allows our emergency medicine physicians to immediately connect and consult with expert Nebraska Medicine telestroke neurologists through advanced videoconferencing technology. A telemedicine cart with a monitor and remote-controlled camera offers instant two-way video and audio communication between the neurologist, the CCH healthcare provider and you. A neurologist can also view your CT images in real time to determine if you are a stroke treatment candidate.