National Stroke Awareness Month (SAM) is less than three months away! Stay tuned for an upcoming email series to help you celebrate and spread awareness no matter who you are! Visit www.stroke.org/SAM in early March for more information and free downloadable tools that will make your awareness events the best they can be.

What is SAM all about? The goal of the annual campaign is to raise public awareness about how to:

STOP Stroke through risk factor management.
Act FAST to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms.
Spread HOPE about recovery from stroke.

Experience iHOPE: New Survivor and Caregiver Education Coming

iHOPE is National Stroke Association’s new stroke survivor and caregiver-focused online education program. iHOPE features a series of free topic-specific webinars and several “Ask the Experts” live online chats between attendees and webinar topic experts.

iHOPE is designed for stroke survivors, caregivers, family members and anyone else impact by post-stroke issues. Ideally, anyone with a computer and Internet access can experience iHOPE anytime. Modeled after the popular in-person HOPE After Stroke program, which featured small, in-person meetings with topic discussion around post-stroke lifestyle and clinical issues, iHOPE provides access to the same valuable information and much more.

The program will launch in early March with two webinars and continue throughout 2010. Webinar topics for the program include:

• Explaining stroke
• Depression and emotions
• Aphasia
• Rehabilitation at home
• Recurrent stroke prevention

Visit www.stroke.org/iHOPE for more detailed info and a tentative schedule.

You spoke and we are listening! National Stroke Association would like to thank the nearly 2,000 stroke survivors and caregivers who recently completed our Stroke Survivor Advocacy Survey. Your input is invaluable and will help us solidify our priority areas of focus for our new Stroke Survivor Advocacy Initiative.

Mark McEwen kicks off our first 2010 issue of StrokeSmart™ magazine with his encouraging insights to life after stroke. Also in this issue:

• "Champion of Hope" profiles our 2009 NYC Marathon Team
• Information about controlling cholesterol levels to prevent stroke
• Constraint-induced movement therapy: using weak limbs to regain mobility
• How Facebook helped created a stroke community for one survivor and caregiver

Visit www.stroke.org/MAG to sign up for a free subscription now

Watch Brian Williams in our latest stroke prevention public service announcement that we collaborated on with NBC-Universal for the 2010 “The More You Know” campaign. Watch the PSA now.

Are you a member of Facebook? Join National Stroke Association's Facebook page today by clicking on the button. Meet friends and other stroke survivors through this easy-to-use social networking Web site. Watch for regular educational and event information each week.

Click on the button below and join National Stroke Association's Twitter page for regular organization updates and tips about stroke education and awareness. Not familiar with Twitter? It’s a free micro-blogging service that allows a person, company or organization to communicate through quick frequent news or informational updates written in a mere 140 characters.

With your tax-deductible donation to National Stroke Association, you help bring the gift of hope to millions of stroke survivors and their loved ones. Here are a few ways to show you care:

• Donate online at www.stroke.org/donate or mail a check payable to National Stroke Association at: 9707 E. Easter Lane, Suite B, Centennial, CO 80112-3747.
• Join our Heritage Society by remembering National Stroke Association in your will. (Talk with your financial advisor for more details.)

Make a donation in memory or honor of a friend or loved one. Remember, the donation you make today could make a big difference for a loved one -- or for you -- tomorrow! Thanks for caring!

Attention stroke care professionals! Register now for our upcoming free Webinar Series Focused on Optimizing Clinical and Fiscal Stroke Center Performance: The Business of Stroke.

Each of the four live webinar programs will last 60 minutes and consist of professional presentations followed by interactive Q&A sessions. Visit www.stroke.org/business to register now and find out more information about each webinar:

• Building the Case for a Primary Stroke Center
• Stroke Center Profitability: Advanced Administrative Issues
• Stroke Center Operations and Marketing
• The Business of Stroke Expert Panel Discussion

Are you a member of one of National Stroke Association’s Professional Membership Programs? Becoming a member of Stroke Center Network, Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Network or Professional Society provides you free or discounted access to our popular Stroke Nurse Education Modules. These modules are the easy and affordable answer for your stroke team members to meet The Joint Commission's requirements for continuing education. For more info about memberships, contact Linda at lkuhrt@stroke.org or (303) 754-0934 or visit www.stroke.org/memberships.

Not sure about joining a membership, but in need of diverse stroke education? Visit www.stroke.org/strokenurse for a full listing of the online modules and to start educating yourself now!

Need quick and easy ways to earn CME or seeking new educational opportunities around the most recent advances in treating and preventing stroke? We have your online answers.

Acute Stroke Treatment: New Evidence and Opportunities showcases individual case studies and the very latest in evidence-based treatment options for acute stroke from our experts in neurology, emergency medicine and interventional radiology. Up to 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Click here to access the activity.

Acute Stroke Treatment: New Evidence and Opportunities -- Stroke Clinical Updates is the latest issue of National Stroke Association’s Stroke: Clinical Updates (SCU) series. The accredited SCU provides an update on new key evidence and provides resources to help participants implement changes to acute stroke care practice and processes. Up to 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™ and .5 contact hours for nurses. Click here to access the activity.

Preventing Recurrent Stroke: Targets for Managing Risk  features faculty experts Dr Philip Gorelick and Dr Fernando Testai who present current scientific advances in preventing recurrent stroke, ways to improve patient adherence and define practice targets to significantly reduce stroke risk through guidelines-based clinical practice. Up to 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Click here to access the activity.

Developing Effective Education Strategies for Stroke Survivors discusses common barriers to effective patient education and offer solutions, resources and strategies for enhancing patient and caregiver education designed to prevent recurrent stroke. Highlighted resources include messaging and materials developed for National Stroke Association’s Steps Against Recurrent Stroke (STARS) initiative. Non-accredited. Click here to access the activity.

Treatment of Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease provides updates on how intracranial stenosis impacts stroke risk. Faculty review the latest medical and endovascular literature and discuss the NIH-funded, randomized trial, SAMMPRIS (Stenting vs. Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis), which compares stenting to medical therapy. Non-accredited. Click here to access the activity.

Visit www.stroke.org/meded to access these webcasts and our entire professional education curriculum!

For many people, the winter months are often the hardest to remain motivated about our commitment to regular physical fitness. Most people associate becoming more physically active solely with losing weight, but it can also help prevent stroke. In some cases, studies have shown that regular physical activity (five times a week) can cut stroke risk in half.

National Stroke Association recommends that everyone exercise at least five times a week. Even if you aren’t used to daily exercise, it’s never too late to start. Plus, incorporating physical activity into your daily life during the winter will make it much easier to continue and even build upon your exercise regimen once spring and summer arrive.

The key to starting an exercise regimen is to figure out what works best for you. Exercise isn't just walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. Here are a few ideas for including physical activity every day:

• Begin with small changes such as parking your car farther away in the lot and taking the stairs rather than elevators or escalators.
• Take a brisk walk for as little as 30 minutes a day during your lunch break or after work at a local mall or indoor gym.
• Get a partner – engage a friend or loved one who is also committed to regular exercise.
• Join a gym – they often offer multiple types of indoor activities to fit a busy daily schedule. Take up new activities such as yoga, swimming, tennis, dance, or aerobics.
• Figure out when you are most motivated during the day to exercise. Some people do better early in the morning than at night.
• Work out with the kids – many new video games, including the Wii, feature engaging and fun physical activity-oriented games such as dancing and bowling.
• For more information about how to prevent stroke and other ways to lose weight and stay physically active, visit www.stroke.org/dietexercise.