A New Year, a New NNMC!

Stroke Treatment, Sports Medicine and More

Dear Neighbor,

Mark W. Crawford It's a new year -- a time for new beginnings. This is a sentiment we've truly taken to heart here at Northern Nevada Medical Center.

In the last few issues of Living Well, we've been introducing many new things to you: heart-saving diagnostic tools and treatments for patients with cardiovascular conditions, the roster of talented physicians at Northern Nevada Medical Group and more.

We're not stopping there. It's my pleasure to introduce another important, brand-new service line at NNMC.

New for 2010: Treatment for Stroke

NNMC is now offering diagnosis and treatment for patients suffering from stroke, a condition that usually occurs when blood clots cut off circulation to the brain. It can cause more than severe disability -- it's the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. Though stroke generally affects people ages 65 and older, it can strike anyone, at any age.

Stroke is treatable, usually with a medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). But intravenous tPA is only recommended if it can be administered within three hours of the onset of stroke warning signs. That's why it's so important for NNMC to offer rapid care and diagnosis -- with methods like computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans -- for patients displaying stroke warning signs.

That brings me to an important, innovative element of our stroke program: teleneurology. Using a video-based teleconferencing system, neurologists can diagnose and treat stroke patients without even being at the hospital. It brings doctors right to your bedside, saving time that may otherwise have been lost if a physician had to drive to the hospital to review test results.

Using NNMC's teleneurology service, neurologist Aaron Heide, MD (on screen) instructs Justin Moulliet, RN (left) to test a stroke patient's grip strength.

Want to see an example of teleneurology in action? And to learn about other neurological services offered at NNMC, including treatment for migraine, Parkinson's disease, dementia and more, click here.

More New Services

NNMC has much more to offer you in 2010. Under the medical leadership of the Wound Care Center's Medical Director, Todd Inman, MD, the dedicated wound care staff looks forward to caring for patients with hard-to-heal wounds. Northern Nevada Medical Group's sports physician, Luis Palacio, MD, aims to care for athletes young and old, with an eye on getting them back into the game!

We're doubling our efforts to educate you, too. NNMC's new lecture series can provide you with key information on common neurological conditions, cardiovascular disease and more. Check out our calendar for information on these, and other, informative health-oriented events.

In 2010, we'd like you to choose NNMC. The physicians here are eager to help take care of you.

Yours in good health,
Signature of Mark W. Crawford
Mark W. Crawford
Chief Executive Officer