Providence Stroke Center
When you or someone you love is showing signs of a stroke the certified Comprehensive Stroke Center at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center provides the highest level of attention and immediate care to minimize damage from the stroke. We offer 24-hour on-call teams to assure stroke experts quickly diagnose your symptoms and use the most advanced treatments.
The Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Stroke Center exceeds national quality guidelines for stroke care and patient outcomes. Our stroke team experts include vascular neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventionalists, radiologists, emergency physicians, nurses and therapists. From diagnosis to treatment and recovery, the Comprehensive Stroke Center team provides advanced care at every stage of stroke.
Our team of emergency doctors, neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, radiologists and therapists provides the care you need.
- Clinical trials lead by the Providence Neuroscience Institute give you access to the most advanced stroke care treatments.
- Neuro biplane catherization lab lets doctors remove blood clots from the brain and repair weak brain arteries using nonsurgical techniques. Learn more about our lab.
- Neuroendovascular treatments use advanced nonsurgical and surgical techniques to treat and prevent blood clots. Learn more about our cerebrovascular and endovascular services.
- Physiatry and rehabilitation therapy provide treatment to help you regain or strengthen your balance, physical mobility, speech and other functions that can be limited after a stroke.
- Surgical clipping involves placing a small metal clip around the base of the aneurysm to isolate it from normal blood circulation. This decreases the pressure on the aneurysm and prevents it from rupturing.
- Telestroke services let our neurologists use telemedicine to provide consultations for stroke patients at rural hospitals throughout Oregon and southern Washington.
- Thrombolytic drugs are "clot-busting" emergency medicines that dissolve blood clots and can help stop a stroke.
- Transcranial doppler studies are painless ultrasound tests that identify blood clots, detect stroke and measure the blood flow in your brain.
At Providence Stroke Center, we provide education and resources to help you reduce your stroke risk and learn about this condition.
- Life After Stroke Community Group: Join us for this group facilitated by Providence Stroke Center nurses and guest speakers
- Understand stroke and reduce your stroke risk from stroke.org
- Recursos en Español from stroke.org
- Caring for Yourself and a Stroke Survivor from stroke.org
Find a Doctor
At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
Recognition
Providence St. Vincent has received the 2024 American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines, as outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
U.S. News & World Report - High Performing Hospital in Stroke (2025-26)
American Heart Association (AHA) Get With the Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Achievement with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll (2024)
B.E. F.A.S.T. and Recognize Stroke Symptoms
Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is disrupted, which keeps brain cells from receiving the oxygen they need to live. As a result, strokes can cause a variety of symptoms.
An easy way to remember stroke symptoms is to B.E. F.A.S.T.
- B– Balance: loss of balance and coordination
- E – Eyes: difficulty seeing in one or both eyes or blurry vision
- F – Face: facial droop
- A – Arms: weakness
- S – Speech: trouble speaking or understanding speech
- T – Time: time to call 911
Frequently Asked Questions
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability for all Americans.
We treat many types of strokes, including:
- Hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when there is bleeding in the brain
- Ischemic strokes, which occur when there’s a blood clot blocking blood flow to and from the brain
- Transient ischemic attacks (TIA), sometimes referred to as “mini strokes” or warning strokes, which occur when there is a brief blockage of blood to the brain that lasts several minutes and mimics stroke symptoms
The B.E.F.A.S.T acronym can help you remember common signs of stroke:
- Balance: Are you having poor balance or clumsiness?
- Eyes: Do you have sudden double or blurred vision, or loss of sight in one eye?
- Face: Do you notice drooping or paralysis on one side of the face?
- Arms: Is one of your arms or legs numb, paralyzed or weak?
- Speech: Is your speech slurred, or are you having trouble communicating?
- Time: If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 as soon as possible.
Additionally, you may experience mental confusion, trouble thinking or have a sudden, severe headache.
A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. If you or your loved one may be experiencing symptoms of a stroke, call 911 right away.
When a stroke happens, fast response provides the best chance for recovery and quality of life after a stroke.
Providence Neuroscience Institute of Oregon
The Providence Neuroscience Institute is a comprehensive, integrated center of excellence that treats all conditions of the brain and spine. We are the leading provider of neurological care in Oregon committed to making a positive difference in every life we touch. Our patients are at the center of everything we do. See a complete list of conditions we treat and learn more about the care we offer.