For years, Scott Flanagan has cared for patients recovering from stroke helping them regain movement, confidence, and independence as a dedicated physical therapist at UConn John Dempsey Hospital. In 2023, he took his passion for stroke recovery a step further and joined UConn Health\u2019s multidisciplinary Stroke Committee, working to enhance education and care for patients facing the life-altering effects of stroke.<\/p>\n
He never imagined he would become one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve worked with stroke patients for a long time, so I thought I had a good understanding,\u201d Flanagan said. \u201cBut nothing prepares you for waking up one morning and suddenly not being able to see straight.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a morning in August when Scott, who lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, bent over to pick up his phone and noticed something was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was seeing double. My right eye couldn\u2019t move. I just knew something wasn\u2019t right,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
His symptoms were unusual but serious: his right eye was paralyzed, and he experienced persistent double vision.<\/p>\n
Despite being in good health, having recently come off blood pressure and diabetes medications after improving his numbers through diet and exercise, Flanagan trusted his instincts.<\/p>\n
Flanagan asked his son to drive him directly to UConn John Dempsey Hospital bypassing closer hospitals because he knew where he\u2019d get the best care.<\/p>\n
\u201cI trusted the team here,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen what they do, and I knew I\u2019d be in good hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Emergency Department (ED), a stroke alert was immediately activated. Neurologist, Dr. Gracia Mui and the ED team quickly assessed his symptoms, and imaging confirmed a small ischemic stroke caused by a blocked artery reducing blood flow to part of the brain.<\/p>\n
Flanagan received TPA (tissue plasminogen activator), a medication used to dissolve clots and restore blood flow. Over the next few weeks, the treatment gradually began to reverse his symptoms.<\/p>\n
He was referred to UConn Health\u2019s neuro-ophthalmologist, Dr. Carolyne A. Riehle, who played a key role in his rehabilitation and adaptation by guiding him through therapy and the use of visual aids. Since more than 66% of all strokes result in vision loss, neuro-optometric rehabilitation therapy\u2014also known as vision therapy\u2014helps retrain the brain and eyes to work together through targeted visual exercises.<\/p>\n
Flanagan also followed up with Dr. Priya Narwal, a board-certified vascular neurologist who leads UConn health’s stroke program. ” While acute stroke management in the hospital focuses on emergent treatment using medication and\/or invasive procedures to optimize functional outcome, outpatient stroke care focuses on identifying and managing stroke risk factors which includes both medical conditions and lifestyle habits, ensuring that patients are on the right medications for stroke prevention and if any barriers exist to access appropriate medical resources ,or social \/ emotional support,\u00a0 those can be swiftly identified and addressed,\u201d explained Narwal.<\/p>\n
Today, Scott is fully recovered\u2014with no lasting deficits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a really good outcome,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I know that\u2019s because I got to the right place, fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
UConn Health\u2019s stroke care team is nationally recognized, earning the American Heart Association\u2019s \u201cGet With The Guidelines\u00ae \u2013 Stroke\u201d Gold Award for seven consecutive years. The hospital\u2019s Joint Commission certification ensures the highest standards for stroke treatment, rehabilitation, and education.<\/p>\n
A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted\u2014either by a clot (ischemic stroke) or by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Without oxygen-rich blood, brain cells begin to die within minutes.<\/p>\n
Strokes are one of the leading causes of disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Stroke Association.<\/p>\n
Know the Signs: BE FAST<\/strong><\/p>\n Time is critical when someone is having a stroke. The acronym BE FAST<\/strong> is a simple way to remember the warning signs:<\/p>\n Other symptoms to watch for include:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms\u2014call 911 immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n While some risk factors are out of your control\u2014like age, family history, or previous stroke\u2014many can be managed through lifestyle changes and medication:<\/p>\n Even healthy people like Scott, who had been eating well, exercising, and reducing his medications, can be affected. That\u2019s why awareness and quick action are so critical.<\/p>\n Now back at work and feeling well, Scott remains on the stroke committee, more motivated than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cI joined the stroke committee because I wanted to help educated stroke patients,\u201d he said. \u201cBut now I am even more passionate because I can speak not just as a clinician, but as someone who\u2019s lived it.\u201d<\/p>\n His message this Stroke Awareness Month is simple but urgent: Know the signs. Trust your gut. Act fast. And get to the right place for care.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a dedicated physical therapist at UConn John Dempsey Hospital, Scott Flanagan has helped countless patients recover from stroke. He never imagined he would one day become one of them, gaining a new perspective from the other side of care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":230747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2288,179],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2209],"class_list":["post-230740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neurology","category-uconn-health"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-17 02:01:34","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230740"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":230751,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230740\/revisions\/230751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/230747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230740"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=230740"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=230740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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