Who We Are
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Few conditions occur as rapidly and with as devastating consequences as stroke. Data from the American Stroke Association indicate that over 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year. Of these, about 500,000 are first attacks and 100,000 are recurrent. Further, the annual cost to our health care system is in excess of 50 billion dollars.
About 4.5 million stroke survivors are alive today. Through innovation of diagnostic technologies, advanced treatment, improved management of stroke risk factors, implementation of cutting edge acute stroke treatments, and improved rehabilitation strategies, there is new hope for persons who have had a stroke or who are at risk of having a stroke.
The Shands at the University of Florida Stroke Program is dedicated to preventing diagnosing and treating strokes, providing the latest technology and medications, and treating the stroke patient's entire needs. Care is coordinated from the first point of contact with the patient, whether through the emergency department, the Stroke Program's inpatient or outpatient services or the rehabilitation ward. Dr. Michael Waters, Director of the Stroke Program, has brought together a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, critical care physicians, emergency department physicians, rehabilitation specialists, nurse specialists and pharmacists who have a special interest and expertise in stroke and cerebrovascular disease.
Shands at UF was recently designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). This makes our program one of only 16 AHCA-designated stroke centers in the state and the only one in north central Florida. Comprehensive Stroke Center designation identifies Shands at UF as a hopital actively participting in the full spectrum of state-of-the-art stroke care and research. It encompasses not only leading-edge technologies and therapeutics for acute stroke patients, but also system-wide initiatives on stroke prevention, rehavilitation, education, community awareness, and clinical and basic science research.
To visit the website for the University of Florida Department of Neurology, click here.
