(February 23, 2007 -- Rockville Centre, NY) - Stroke survivors, their families and caregivers are invited to join the Stroke Support Group which meets the first Tuesday of each month from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. in the St. Anne’s Center at Mercy Medical Center. As a state-designed Stroke Center, Mercy offers unique expertise in the treatment and post-hospital care of stroke patients.

The program for the next meeting of the Stroke Support Group, on Tuesday, March 6th, is a discussion of common medical complications of stroke, clinical outcomes, preventive strategies and appropriate treatment, led by Joseph Sharkey, RPA-C, Senior Physician Assistant for Critical Care Medicine, a member of the medical center’s Acute Stroke Team and a Registered Dietitian. For information, or to register for the free Stroke Support Group meetings, please call Elaine Dellavecchia, RN at 516-705-2476.

About Mercy Medical Center
Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre is a 387-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the healthcare needs of Nassau County and its surrounding area. Best known for services in maternal health, oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, and behavioral health, Mercy is a state-designated Level II Trauma and Stroke Center, site of a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a Bariatric Center of Excellence designated by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, and the regional home of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Mercy also is the recipient of the 2007 Orthopedic Care Excellence Award from HealthGrades, marking the third year in a row that the nation’s leading healthcare ratings company has given Mercy’s program its top orthopedics honor.
Mercy Medical Center is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island.
Contact us at (516) 62-MERCY or visit us at http://mercymedicalcenter.chsli.org.

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For immediate release, contact: Mel Granick
Phone: 516-705-2618
E-Mail: mel.granick@chsli.org