Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in the deaths of more than 130,000 Americans annually. The good news is that up to 80% of strokes are preventable. 

As part of National Stroke Awareness Month, Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett will be hosting a stroke fair on Friday, May 19th, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the hospital's main lobby. In addition to stroke education information, blood pressure checks and stroke risk assessments will be provided. The event is free and open to the public. 

"There are controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking that can raise your risk of stroke," said Cammie Hughes, Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett stroke coordinator. "If we can educate people on these risk factors as well as common stroke warning signs and symptoms, we believe that we can improve outcomes."

For more information regarding the stroke screenings, please call 901-820-7676. In addition, you can take a free stroke risk assessment online by visiting www.SaintFrancisBartlett.com/Stroke.

Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett has earned the Joint Commission's Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Joint Commission experts evaluated the hospital's compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.