Shands Jacksonville is hosting “Strike Out Stroke” night at the Jacksonville Suns game May 9. The event is aimed at educating the public about the warning signs of stroke.
Stroke is known as a silent killer, taking the lives of 150,000 people every year here in the U-S. Another 630,000 people suffer strokes and survive but their outcome often depends on how quickly and where they were treated.
In 2006 Shands Jacksonville was the first hospital in Northeast Florida to be accredited by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Stroke patients seen at Shands Comprehensive Stroke program receive specialized care, treatment and resources not available at hospitals without the designation. A team of highly trained neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, ER doctors and specialized nurses are on-site 24 hours a day.
At the game, the TraumaOne helicopter will deliver the “first-pitch” ball to one of our stroke educators who will then hand deliver it to University of Florida neurologist Dr. Scott Silliman. Silliman and a group of Girl Scouts will then throw out the first pitch. The scouts took Shands “Know Stroke” program into the community and ultimately were awarded Girl Scouts highest honor, the Gold Award.
The Duval County Health Department will be conducting free stroke screenings at the game and fans will take home a magnet that outlines the symptoms of stroke.
Media wishing to cover the first pitch should arrive by 6:30p.m. to see TraumaOne as it delivers the first-pitch ball around 6:50p.m. For more information contact Kelly Brockmeier, Manager of media relations, Shands Jacksonville at 244-3268 or 613-5823 (cell). We hope to see you at the ballpark!