Prince William Now Proclaimed as “Stroke Smart County”

Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the U.S. One in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime. In fact, every year, more than 795,000 people in this country has a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.

Having a stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability, and it can put a tremendous financial burden on individuals, families, and the community at large.

Lifesaving treatments must be administered within three to four hours once symptoms begin, and only a very small percentage of patients get to the hospital within the treatment window because most people do not know how to spot a stroke or the importance of calling 911 immediately.

The vast majority of stroke victims do not receive treatment in time to prevent unnecessary death or disability. The faster an individual receives treatment, the better the outcome of their recovery. Additionally, up to 80% of strokes are preventable, which is why education, awareness, and intervention are important.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is supporting Stroke Smart Virginia’s Spot-a-Stroke, Stop-a-Stroke, Save-a-Life as part of training for families, employees and community members within the County.

“The Board of County Supervisors’ proclamation is intended to bring greater awareness to Prince William County health and safety-focused entities and county employees to improve the county’s stroke literacy and train all employees, volunteers and associated communities,” comments Chair At-Large Ann B. Wheeler.

Stroke Smart Virginia is a public health initiative to reduce pre-hospital delays associated with stroke by educating the public to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke and early 911 activation. With this program, the board hopes the community will become educated enough to identify a stroke when it happens and contact 911 to get the afflicted individual to treatment as swiftly as possible.

Prince William County is joining other communities across the Commonwealth in becoming a Stroke Smart community, and with that, becoming a better place to live, work and play.

As citizens, it is within our power to dramatically reduce the negative damage strokes can have on our community. The board encourages members of our community to seek out information regarding recognizing the symptoms of strokes.

For more information, visit: Stroke Smart Virginia - Stroke.