Stroke Education for the Workplace: Why You Need It and What Employees Should Know By Rachel Reas MBA, BSN, RN Neuroscience Market Manager, Aurora BayCare Medical Center

1. Rachel Reas MBA, BSN, RN
Neuroscience Market Manager
Stroke
Why You Need It and What Employees
Should Know

2. Objectives
Stroke Facts
Define Stroke
Risk Factors
Treatment
Key Takeaways

3. Impact of Stroke
Death and disability
• 6th leading cause of death in the United States
• On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds
• About 795,000 strokes per year in the US
• Major leading cause of disability
• ~ 4,700,000 stroke survivors in USA
• By 2030 3.88% of US population >18 is projected to have had a stroke
Cost According to AHA / ASA
• Between 2012 and 2030:
• Direct medical cost are expected to increase from $71.55 billion to $184.13
billion
• Indirect cost are projected to rise from $33.65 billion to $56.54 billion

4. Bruce Ovbiagele. Stroke. Forecasting the Future of Stroke in the
United States, Volume: 44, Issue: 8, Pages: 2361-2375, DOI:
(10.1161/STR.0b013e31829734f2)
Projected Total (Direct
and Indirect) Cost of
Stroke by age in the US in
billions

5. Stroke related deaths
/ 100,00 people
• According to
CDC, ages 35+
• 2017-2019
• Interactive Atlas
of Heart Disease
and Stroke

6. Effects all
Ages
• Stroke increases with age but
can – and do – occur at any
age.
• In 2009, 34% of people
hospitalized with stroke were
less than 65 years old
(according to CDC)

7. What is a
stroke?
-A continuous supply of oxygen to the brain
is essential to maintain function and prevent
tissue damage
-A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the
brain is either blocked (ischemic) or bursts
(hemorrhagic) stopping blood flow to the
brain
• Ischemic (87%)
• Hemorrhagic (13%)
-Both are medical emergencies
-Treatment is dependent on the type of
stroke

8. Ischemic (Blockage)
87% of all strokes
Hemorrhagic (Bleeding)
13% of all strokes

9. TIA
Transient Ischemic
Attack (mini -stroke)
-Symptoms of neurological
dysfunction, similar to stroke but
temporary and does not result in
tissue damage
~ 200,000 to 500,000 occurrence
-Risk of future stroke 9-20% within 90
days

10. • Hypertension
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High Cholesterol
• Carotid Artery Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation – quivering of
the upper chambers of the
heart
• Excessive Alcohol Intake
Risk Factors
- Know your numbers

11. • Age
• After the age of 55 stroke risk doubles for
every decade a person is alive
• Gender
• Women are more likely than men to suffer a
stroke
• Ethnicity
• African Americans, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific
Islanders are more likely than Caucasians
• Family History
• Previous Stroke
• TIA – Transient Ischemic Attack; “Mini-Stroke”;
these are a warning sign of a major stroke and
need to be treated
Risk Factors
Cont.

12. B-E-F-A-S-T
Call 911!

13. Time is
Brain!
• Time is NOT on your side
during a stroke
• 2 million brain cells will die
every minute during a stroke
• Delay in treatment will greatly
affect the patient's outcome
• Home with family vs. long term
care facility

14. Treatment
• Treatment is dependent
on the type of stroke
• Ischemic or hemorrhagic
• Upon arrival to Emergency room,
patient will be taken to the CT
scanner
• Time of symptom onset
• Treatments depend greatly on
when the patient was last seen
well
• We Will ask!!

15. - Clot busting medication given through an IV
- Can be given up to 4 ½ hours from
symptom onset
- Does have contraindications
• Spinal surgery, serious head trauma or
previous stroke (past 3 months)
• History of intracranial hemorrhage
• Active internal bleeding or trauma
• Known brain tumor, aneurysm or AVM
Alteplase
(tPA)

16. Mechanical Thrombectomy
• Procedure done to remove a clot from the blood vessel
• Catheter is placed through an artery in the groin, advanced to the
vessels in the brain
• Clot is removed either using a stent retrieval device or suction
• Procedure is done by specially trained physician at designated stroke
center
• Aurora BayCare Medical Center
• Can be done up to 24 hours from symptom onset with proper imaging

18. Plumbing!

19. Aurora Wellness Services
What can you do?
• Health Risk Assessments
• Blood Pressure Screenings
• Wellness Coaching (Onsite, Telephonic, Virtual)
• Freedom From Smoking Programs
• Onsite CPR/AED/First Aid Training
• Educational Webinars,
Presentations, and Micro Videos
• Health Awareness Campaigns
For more information on Aurora Wellness Products and
Services, please contact Christine Pongratz, Wellness
Services & Employer Clinics Coordinator at
Christine.Pongratz@aah.org
• Stroke Risk Scorecards
• Aurorabaycare.com/stroke
• Successful business strategies to
prevent Stroke and Heart Disease
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/toolkit_guide.pdf
• National Health Observances
• Feb. = Month
• GoRed Day – First Friday in Feb. (Feb. 4th 2022)
• May = National Stroke Month
• Sept. = Cholesterol Month
• Oct. 29th = World Stroke Day
• Nov. = Great American Smoke Out
Free Online Resources

20. Key Takeaways
• Encourage staff to know risk factors
• Educate on signs and symptoms
• Integrate stroke awareness into
Wellness program
• Diet and Exercise
• Control high blood pressure
• Control cholesterol
• No Smoking
• Talk to your primary care provider
• Stroke is Common
• Stroke is Disabling
• Stroke is Costly
• Stroke is Treatable
• Time is the most important
factor when treating stroke

22. Thank you!
For more information about stroke please contact Rachel Reas
rreas@baycare.net
Christine Pongratz, AAH Wellness Services & Employer Clinics Coordinator
christine.pongratz@aah.org