Alexian Brothers Health System Partners With American Stroke Association To Support Stroke Survivors

The Alexian Brothers Health System and the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, have joined forces to promote a statewide supportive community of stroke survivors and those who care for them.

SSEEO (Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other) is the only initiative of its kind. Founded in 2004 by just four stroke survivors, the grassroots group has grown considerably, and is now comprised of hundreds of survivors and caregivers from across Illinois. SSEEO provides a variety of previously unavailable resources for those impacted by stroke, including advocacy, education, and awareness programs.

"We are pleased to partner with the American Stroke Association to support the SSEEO program," said Wende Fedder, RN, director of the Alexian Brothers Health System Stroke Program. "Making post stroke resources available will improve the quality of life for both survivors and caregivers. These efforts are vitally important, particularly in this era, as stroke survival rates continue to soar due to clinical advances in treatment and technology. Today we have more stroke survivors than ever before, and the need for support for this growing population has become an Alexian Brothers Health System priority."

"Until SSEEO, there had not been a unified, consistent voice advocating for stroke survivors," said Andrew Rauh, MD, president, Metro Chicago Board of Directors, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. "The Alexian Brothers Health System has a great reputation for its comprehensive stroke response treatment program and it is because of that reputation that we are excited to partner with them on this groundbreaking initiative."

A kick-off marking the new partnership took place on September 21, 2007 at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. The event included personal accounts from nearly twenty stroke survivors from across Illinois, followed by a presentation on the psychological impact of stroke, conducted by Dr. Brian Leahy of the Alexian Neurosciences Institute. Dr. Leahy's presentation is part of SSEEO's ongoing Telephone Stroke Support Group, a series of programs in which stroke survivors from across Illinois can call in to listen and participate on various stroke related topics via telephone. The Telephone Stroke Support Group is one of many new strategies designed to develop community and share information by connecting survivors, caregivers, health professionals and other stroke stakeholders.

The Alexian Brothers Health System has taken quantum leaps forward in the treatment of stroke patients with the establishment of a 24/7 stroke response program, which includes a new state-of-the-art neuroangiography suite designed for, among other things, patients who have suffered a stroke or a TIA (transient ischemic attack), a brief stroke that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted for a short time. The interventional stroke procedures done at Alexian Brothers are some of the most advanced in the area, and include clot retrieval, cerebrovascular stenting, and administration of tPA utilizing the most sophisticated imaging technology available today.

The health system's stroke treatment efforts have been recognized by several organizations, including earning the American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Initial Performance Achievement Award, and receiving certification from the Joint Commission as Primary Stroke Centers, becoming among the first hospitals in Illinois to be certified as part of a campaign designed to raise the standard of stroke care.