To find a designated stroke center near you, check out our map.

To search for a stroke center in any state, go to www.qualitycheck.org.

Navigating your way to better medical care. Strokes cause more disabilities in this country than ny other ailment or accident. If you do get into an accident, the ambulance takes you to a trauma center. Now if you show signs of stroke, they have to locate and deliver you to a qualified stroke center.

Uma Singh, Stroke Patient: "I was at home working on my computer and talking on the phone. All of a sudden I felt my right foot getting weaker. Slowly it moved to my leg, came up to my thigh."

A simple phone call.

Uma Singh: "I said to my friend, there's something wrong."

Then an urgent call.

Uma Singh: "I called 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 came within two minutes and I couldn't walk to open the door for them."

Uma Singh was having a stroke.

Dr. Ali Shaibani, Neuro-Interventional Surgeon, Northwest Community Hospital: "This is an example of a patient who came in during the window of iv TPA but needed more than that which we were fortunate to be able to offer."

TPA, the typical clot-busting drug given to stroke patients in the first four hours following a stroke, wasn't enough for Uma. She needed a stent to stabalize her artery. Since she was taken directly to a stroke center, she got the advanced, performance preserving treatment. Thanks to a new law, all stroke patients will get the same service.

Dr. Ali Shaibani: "If the patient arrives in a timely fashion and is assessed in a timely fashion, there is something you can do for these people. There are people, physicians out in the community, who are not stroke specialists who still may not be aware of this treatment."

Christopher Hedquist, Lake Zurich Firefighter Paramedic: "The longer you wait the more brain tissue is going to die."

Paramedics are aware of the power they have now to bypass the closest hospital and go to the best for the patient.

Christopher Hedquist: "Last Christmas there were a couple of patients having strokes. We had to take them to the closest hospitals where they later got transferred ... that was time wasted. This new law, we can call our closest hospital and make the designation to be transported to a stroke center."

Uma is not just living but thriving proof.

Uma Singh: "Compared to other people in my situation I think I'm doing very good, very well."

Uma also credits her good health now to the fact that she recognized her stroke sypmtoms: speech problems, limb numbness, dizziness and headaches. Know the symptoms, know your rights and know where the clostest stroke cetner is.