Stroke, otherwise referred to as "brain attack," remains one of the most devastating diseases in the country today. Each year, approximately half a million strokes occur and approximately 150,000 stroke victims survive. According to the American Heart Association, it is considered the leading cause of permanent disability in adults. The need to view strokes as a medical emergency is imperative to improve the outcomes of stroke. Current therapies are marginally effective. However, clinical trials at many institutions are in progress, with the goal of improving current therapy and patient outcomes. Thrombolytic therapy has recently been shown to be beneficial in acute ischemic stroke. Recent advances in endovascular techniques, improvements in catheters allowing the delivery of intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy, and the availability of screening procedures such as computed tomography (CT) scanning and angiography have given researchers and healthcare institutions the impetus to develop a protocol to improve outcome. Education and collaboration among all disciplines of health care professionals are essential in this endeavor.