Quick Search

Forsyth Medical Center and its Foundation received a large grant today from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to support a new initiative aimed at reducing the high rates of stroke that disproportionately occur in the southeastern region of the United States.

Forsyth Medical Center will receive $645,000 this year, with the potential for three more additional years of funding that could total $2.6 million, as part of the DHHS Secretary's Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative. North Carolina is one of seven states comprising the "Stroke Belt."

The Stroke Belt Elimination Initiative represents a collaborative effort among all DHHS agencies and is part of the Closing the Health Gap Initiative, which seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.

Working with churches, other community-based organizations and health professionals, including Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro, NC, Forsyth Medical Center will implement and coordinate programs targeting stroke and hypertension, such as free blood pressure screenings and community-wide education campaigns. Forsyth is part of Novant Health, a not-for-profit health system serving 32 counties in the region.

The 2001 stroke death rate for North Carolina was approximately 23 percent higher than the U.S. national average. The age-adjusted stroke death rate was about 71 stroke-deaths per 100,000 persons living in North Carolina. In 2000, there were 15,963 stroke hospitalizations among adults 65 years of age and over living in North Carolina.

"Forsyth Medical Center has long been a leader in outreach programs to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve," said Sallye Liner, chief operating officer at Forsyth Medical Center. "This grant from Health and Human Services will provide crucial funding for a very broad-based community initiative developed to improve access to stroke education and preventive care for a high risk group who often are not connected to traditional prevention programs."

The overall burden of stroke in the U.S. continues to be substantial. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability among U.S. adults. On average, someone living in the US has a stroke about every 45 seconds. There are more than 700,000 new strokes annually and about 29 percent of these are recurrent strokes. More than 4.8 million adults had a history of stroke in 2001. Stroke events are estimated to generate over $53.6 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2004.

High blood pressure and hypertension are the leading risk factor for stroke. More than 70 percent of persons with a stroke also suffer from hypertension. Critical risk factors also include diabetes, excess weight or salt intake, physical inactivity, and smoking.

Forsyth Medical Center recently became the first hospital in North Carolina to receive national certification for its Stroke and Neurovascular Center from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Forsyth Medical Center also participates in the national "StrokeSense" community education and healthcare improvement program coordinated by VHA.

In addition to Forsyth Medical Center, the other grant recipients are the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.