From left, Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, President & CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network; Dr. Michael Miller, neurologist at Bassett Medical Center; Jo-Ann Vass, Bassett’s Stroke Program Coordinator; Jennifer Mondore, RN; Christine Kisiel, Executive Director, American Heart Association of the Greater Utica Area, gather to unveil the FAST letters that will remind visitors to Bassett Hospital of the signs of stroke.
Leaders from the American Heart Association in the Mohawk Valley and Bassett Healthcare Network recently gathered at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown to unveil an acronym that could save lives.
Four life-sized letters that spell out “F.A.S.T” will be displayed in the outpatient clinic lobby of Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, and two sets of pull-up banners that say the same thing will travel among other Bassett locations across the region, all to raise awareness about stroke.
“We are proud to join with the American Heart Association to help our communities recognize the symptoms of stroke,” said Jo-Ann Vass, Bassett’s Stroke Program Coordinator. “This is essential information to help prevent strokes and get timely care.”
“We know with stroke that time is brain,” said Christine Kisiel, executive director of the American Heart Association in the Mohawk Valley. “The acronym F.A.S.T. is something that is easy to remember, and if someone is having a stroke, to remember. We’re grateful that Bassett is sponsoring America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk and is raising awareness about this important tool to fight stroke.”
F.A.S.T. stands for:
- F – face drooping
- A – arm weakens
- S – slurred speech
- T – time to call 9-1-1