Mission & Impact Goal
The American Stroke Association's mission is to reduce disability and death from stroke through research, education, fundraising, and advocacy. As a division of American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association leverages credible science, a strong reputation, and a nationwide infrastructure of Affiliates to advance its mission. By providing effective, credible information to prevent and treat stroke with specific emphasis on those at high risk, the organization seeks to reduce stroke and risk of stroke by 25 percent by 2010. In the 2000-2001 fiscal year, the American Stroke Association spent almost $86 million on stroke-related research, educational programs and advocacy, more than any other non-profit organization, and second only to the federal government in dedicated stroke funding.
Stroke as a Priority
The American Heart Association views stroke as a strategic priority due to its significant impact on the American public. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 53 seconds, and every 3.1 minutes someone dies of a stroke.
National Strategic Alliances and Advocacy
In order to align goals and strategies at a national level to fight against heart disease and stroke, the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recently signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding, considered a milestone in public and private sector cooperation, with:
* Centers for Disease Control;* National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute;* National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke;* Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; and * Office of the Surgeon General.
The American Stroke Association has also forged formal alliances with these national organizations to work together in the fight against stroke:
* American Occupational Therapy Association* American Association of Neuroscience Nurses* American Society for Neuro-imaging* American Society for Neuro-rehabilitation* Premier, Inc. (a group purchasing organization with more than 1,800 health facilities)
These collaborative efforts, coupled with the organization's ability to work through more than 2,000 local offices, provides a strong basis for delivering stroke messages to consumers and professionals across the United States. Other vital relationships with corporations, health associations and educational institutions provide additional channels to reduce stroke and risk of stroke.
Participating in the national agenda for improving stroke care is a top priority with the Advocacy staff of the American Heart Association, who provide input on legislation and lobby for increased funding for stroke. The organization is actively involved in numerous coalitions.
Programs, Products and Services
The American Stroke Association's initiatives are delivered through three primary categories:
Primary Prevention of Stroke
* The American Stroke Association produces educational materials, including brochures and videos, for both professional and consumer audiences, with a high level of focus on women, African Americans and seniors.* MyHeartWatch (myheartwatch.org) is a state-of-the-art, Web-based health management program to help individuals lower their risk for heart attack and stroke by providing them with health information and to support changes in lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking cessation, physical activity, nutrition and taking medications as prescribed.
* Search Your Heart is an educational program designed to reach African Americans in a church setting, which encourages church members to change their lifestyles in order to build heart-healthy bodies. The program contains several activity kits, including a module called Stomp Out Stroke, that are designed to educate people about risk factors and warning signs.
Acute Care/The Acute Event
* Operation Stroke -- Created in 1997, Operation Stroke is a comprehensive community initiative that pulls together local resources necessary to provide optimal care for those experiencing a stroke. Objectives are:
1. To educate the general public about the warning signs of stroke and to call 9-1-1 when these warning signs are experienced by themselves or someone around them;
2. To advocate for EMS systems to upgrade the coding for transport of stroke patients, to train EMS personnel to assess for stroke, to advocate for medical dispatcher training, and to implement outcomes tracking systems; and
3. To advocate for acute care medical facilities to implement stroke protocols, stroke teams and stroke units, and to implement outcomes tracking systems.
* Acute Stroke Treatment Program (ASTP) -- This implementation resource was developed as the tool for the Brain Attack Coalition's Guidelines for Primary Stroke Centers, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which the American Stroke Association co-authored. Since its launch, more than 2,600 kits have been distributed to hospitals across the United States, and the ASTP is considered the premier resource for implementing primary stroke centers.
* The need for rapid action is communicated to consumers through national media and call-to-action campaigns, radio public service announcements and national alliances with other organizations that can impact care at the time of an acute event.
* Stroke: When Minutes Matter, is a senior education program designed to help seniors identify the warning signs of a stroke and to respond promptly by calling 9-1-1. Pilot results showed 10-15 percent improvement (between pre- and post- tests) in senior recognition of stroke warning signs.
Secondary Prevention and Post-Stroke Rehabilitation
* Get with the Guidelines is a Web-based initiative delivered at the hospital level to develop hospital-based protocols to implement primary and secondary prevention guidelines for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The stroke module is currently in pilot with the Patient Management Tool (a Web-based data collection tool also used to support some states in the Paul Coverdell stroke registry pilot).
* The American Stroke Association provides valuable resources for stroke survivors and caregivers, including:
1. Stroke Connection magazine;
2. A toll-free "Warmline" (888-4-STROKE) staffed by stroke survivors and caregivers; and
3. Support Group Registry of more than 2,000 support groups nationwide.Professional Resources
* Attended by more than 2,400 people, the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference provides an educational experience for neurologists, surgeons, physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. The conference, which highlights major advances in fundamental and clinical stroke-related research, is considered among the most successful and prestigious stroke conferences in the world.
* Stroke: A Journal of the American Heart Association is the premier scientific journal for those involved in the care of stroke patients.
* The Stroke Trials Directory is a one-of-a-kind Web site that contains descriptions of completed and ongoing stroke therapeutic trials, positive and negative.
* The Satellite Symposium on Acute Stroke, one of a series of live, interactive satellite professional education broadcasts, reached more than 4,500 healthcare professionals simultaneously. Future topics may include Emerging Science, Secondary Prevention, and Comprehensive Stroke Centers.
* Healthcare professionals and others interested in stroke can sign up to receive a quarterly email communication, the Stroke Information Alliance, to keep up with the latest activities and initiatives of the American Stroke Association (by sending email information to [email protected])
* Stroke volunteers and alliances may also keep up-to-date through our Extranet community located at www.strokecommunities.org
Find out More
The American Stroke Association offers a wide array of programs, products and services, from patient education materials to scientific statements with cutting-edge information for healthcare professionals. The organization is committed to remaining the leader in providing credible stroke information to individuals and healthcare providers. For more information about the American Stroke Association or its initiatives, visit our Web site at StrokeAssociation.org, email us at [email protected], or call 1-888-4-STROKE. To speak with a stroke survivor or caregiver, ask for the Warmline.
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