May 4, 2022
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center will offer 11 opportunities for free stroke risk assessments in May and June, starting with screenings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the lobby of Outpatient Care New Albany, 6100 N. Hamilton Rd., Westerville. Additional stroke risk screenings will be offered at these locations:
Ohio State Brain and Spine Hospital, 300 W. 10th. Ave – Main Lobby
- May 11 from 8 – 11am
- May 18 from 11am – 3pm
- May 25 from 11am – 3pm
Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care, 2050 Kenny Rd., Columbus – Main Lobby
- May 5 from 10am – 1pm
- May 19 from 10am – 1pm
Outpatient Care New Albany, 6100 N. Hamilton Rd., Westerville – Main Lobby
- May 17 from 10am – 1pm
Ohio State East Hospital, 181 Taylor Ave., Columbus – Main Lobby
- May 20 from 11am – 1pm
Outpatient Care East, 543 Taylor Ave, Columbus – Main Lobby
- May 13 from 10am – 12pm
In addition, free stroke risk screenings will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Dublin Market at Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, along with during the Healthy Community Day event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 4 at Outpatient Care East, 543 Taylor Ave.
During the stroke risk screenings, participants will be assessed on the eight factors that increase the risk of a stroke – high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, exercise, diet and family history. No registration is necessary. Ohio State Wexner Medical Center also offers this free online stroke risk quiz.
Strokes happen when blood flow to the brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes," or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.
Symptoms of stroke include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body).
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Anyone with these symptoms should seek immediate medical help.
Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center has been awarded the advanced certification for designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, offering a high level of care for patients with the most severe and challenging types of strokes and cerebrovascular disease. The Comprehensive Stroke Center is part of Ohio State’s Neurological Institute.
Media representatives should contact Eileen Scahill at Eileen.Scahill@osumc.edu or 614-354-9660 to make arrangements to cover these events.
# # #
Media Contact: Eileen Scahill, Wexner Medical Center Media Relations, Eileen.Scahill@osumc.edu