Stroke care in Wisconsin | Ascension
Ascension Saint Thomas

Advanced stroke care in Wisconsin

When seconds count, doctors at Ascension Wisconsin stroke centers work quickly to understand the cause of your symptoms and deliver the care you need.
FIND A STROKE CENTER

When you or a family member needs stroke care, every second counts. In Northeast and Southeast Wisconsin, our care teams use advanced treatments to help minimize brain damage, improve blood flow to the brain, and help prevent future strokes. Our multi-specialty care team provides high-quality stroke care that starts when you enter the emergency room.

State-of-the art imaging helps our doctors diagnose a stroke within seconds and quickly determine what treatment option is right for you. Our care team is able to respond quickly, reducing brain damage caused by a stroke and potentially reversing symptoms. And, we’re here to help and support you through recovery and rehabilitation.

To treat your stroke, our experienced neuro-interventionalists work to: 

  • Minimize brain damage
  • Open blood flow to critical areas of the brain
  • Prevent repeat strokes even in complex cases
  • Surgically treat hard-to-reach aneurysms and brain tumors

If you believe that you or a loved one is experiencing stroke, remember this: BE FAST

  • Balance: Check for sudden loss of balance
  • Eyes: Ask if vision is lost or unclear
  • Face: Look for an uneven smile
  • Arm: Check if one arm is weak
  • Speech: Listen for slurred speech
  • Time: Call 911 right away

If you or a loved one are experiencing warning signs of a stroke — sudden loss of balance, lost or unclear vision, face drooping or uneven smile, arm weakness and speech difficulty — every second counts. Call 911 and go to the nearest ER.

Advanced stroke care

Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital - Milwaukee Campus is certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission (JC). Eight other Ascension hospitals are primary stroke centers as certified by JC.

The Joint Commission is an independent accrediting organization. This accrediting body sets standards in healthcare to improve healthcare quality and safety. JC recognition reflects our experience and advanced care to help improve stroke recovery outcomes.

Ascension Wisconsin Stroke Centers

Northeast Wisconsin:

Southeast Wisconsin:

Stroke rehabilitation - life after a stroke

Stroke recovery begins before you leave our stroke center. Our experienced nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists provide compassionate, personalized care to help you improve your quality of life after a stroke. Our doctors and care teams monitor your health to help prevent a repeat stroke or transient ischemic strokes, also called mini-strokes.

We offer dedicated stroke rehabilitation to help you recover from the effects of the stroke and manage common symptoms after a stroke, including:

  • Behavioral health changes
  • Chronic pain
  • Difficulty walking
  • Difficulty grasping objects
  • Paralysis
  • Tingling in arms or legs (neuralgia)
  • Speech fluency issues
  • Swallowing issues
  • Changes in memory
  • Unable to perform daily living activities

A comprehensive approach to stroke rehabilitation is available, including:

  • Speech-language therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Recreational therapy
  • Rehabilitation psychology
  • Physical medicine & rehabilitation

Some of the treatments you may receive include:

  • Mirror therapy
  • Exercise
  • Memory strategies
  • Swallow strategies
  • Daily living skills training
  • Medical treatment of stroke-associated spasticity and pain, including Botox

If inpatient stroke rehabilitation is needed, Ascension offers locations close to home:

Southeast Wisconsin:

Northeast Wisconsin

Our outpatient stroke clinics deliver patient-centered stroke rehabilitation, with locations throughout Wisconsin:

Southeast Wisconsin

Northeast Wisconsin: