Las Vegas, NV— Carol Aker was only 60 years old when she suffered from a stroke on September 2, 2009. She had no prior health issues. She never smoked, and had low blood pressure. Prior to moving to Las Vegas from Michigan, she visited her doctor regularly but had yet to find new a primary care physician.

One night, she was enjoying dinner with her family when her left hand started tingling. She thought nothing of it, and proceeded to give her son a haircut. A while later, Carol started mumbling, which prompted her son to call 911. The ambulance rushed her immediately to MountainView Hospital.

When Carol arrived in the Emergency Room her condition stabilized, then quickly regressed. The Neurologist on call decided to administer tPA. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a drug that can dissolve blood clots, which cause most heart attacks and strokes. tPA is the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the acute (urgent) treatment of ischemic stroke. Carol was in the ICU for three days before she was moved to another unit in the hospital. On September 8, she was transferred to a rehab facility.

Carol went to outpatient rehab until Thanksgiving. She could see a difference right away. She claims that she can now do everything she was able to prior to her stroke, and accredits her speedy and full recovery to the treatment and care she received at MountainView Hospital. In a follow-up appointment with a local neurologist, the doctor told Carol that MountainView performed every test that she would have received at the best facilities in the country. While her left hand still gives her some trouble (numbness, tingling) she knows how lucky she is.

"My neighbor had a stroke three months ago, and still can't walk," said Carol. Two months after her stroke, Carol was enjoying a cruise with her husband. Carol now takes an aspirin a day and cholesterol medication. When asked what she will do next, Carol simply laughed and said, "I have a very long list of things to do."

MountainView Hospital has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. MountainView joins its sister facilities, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and Southern Hills Hospital, as a certified stroke center.

In order to receive certification, MountainView was evaluated by the Joint Commission—the leading healthcare accreditation and certification organization in the United States—using standards for stroke from the recommendations published by the Brain Attack Coalition and American Stroke Association. This includes an assessment of compliance with consensus-based national standards, effective use of primary stroke center recommendations and clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care and performance measurement and improvement activities.

“Being recognized as a Certified Primary Stroke Center means a great deal to our stroke team, who work hard to provide exceptional care to our patients,” said Will Wagnon, chief executive officer at MountainView Hospital. “And for the residents of Northwest Las Vegas, it means they have access to specialists and a hospital that meets rigorous standards. In the event of a stroke, you want to be treated at a certified stroke center.”

MountainView’s’ Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Center offers diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, education and outreach. A trained Stroke Team of doctors and nurses works to identify stroke symptoms as quickly as possible, beginning with emergency medical service workers in the field. By the time a patient arrives at the hospital, the Stroke Team is ready.

According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every three minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. The highly trained physicians and staff at MountainView Hospital want everyone to know how to spot a stroke, by asking these three simple questions:

• Can you smile?
• Can you raise both arms?
• Can you speak a simple sentence?

If any of these functions cannot be performed easily, call 9-1-1 immediately. You could save a life.

Media Inquiries:
Amanda Powell, (702) 232-3464
Director of Marketing at MountainView Hospital

MountainView Hospital is a state-of-the-art, full-service medical facility located in the heart of northwest Las Vegas, one of the fastest growing areas in the Valley. With a dedicated and talented staff of employees and outstanding physicians, MountainView Hospital (MVH) is often recognized for high patient satisfaction and for providing quality and compassionate care to our community for the past 14 years. The hospital is also a member of the respected Sunrise Health System consisting of Sunrise Hospital, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital, and several surgery and diagnostic imaging centers offering a complete range of specialized and technologically advanced services.

MountainView Hospital
(702) 255-5000