Embarrassed, he's relieved that no one is watching, so he sits quietly until the paralysis subsides. Then he drives home, calls a niece and asks her to meet him at his doctor's office in the Kiser Medical Office Building at Rowan Regional Medical Center, and drives there, another three blocks. After a week of treatment, he will return home and five months later, his recovery is nearly total. Not all are so fortunate. A half million people nationwide this year will suffer strokes, say Dr. Hill and cardiologist Dr. Brian Fazia , and a third will die.
Stroke is the single greatest cause of adult disability.
But at Rowan Regional Medical Center, where both doctors practice, and at similar hospitals in many communities, the phrase brain attack signifies a bold new approach to stroke treatment, one once reserved for the heart attack victim. With it, the future is dramatically improving for patients like Mr. Burke. The sooner treatment begins, the fewer cells will die, and the less chance of lingering disability. Today, that simple premise guides a victim's every encounter with the Rowan medical system, from ambulance technicians coached to quickly spot symptoms, to the medical center where a special stroke team will be standing by as the patient arrives. Drugs, some recently approved and others under trial at Rowan Regional and elsewhere, are powerful new weapons.