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 The nonprofit hospital’s certification as a comprehensive stroke
center, a level of care achieved by an estimated 300 of the nation’s
5,600 hospitals, recognizes Memorial for its ability to provide
expert, around-the-clock care for the most complex stroke patients.
Memorial Medical Center treats an estimated 1,200 stroke cases
annually. Of the 19 Illinois hospitals to achieve the comprehensive
stroke designation, Memorial is one of only three hospitals outside
of the Chicago region.
“When treating stroke, every second counts,” Tiffany Whitaker,
director of Memorial's Comprehensive Stroke Center, said. “As the
only comprehensive stroke center serving the southern half of
Illinois, Memorial is committed to providing the best level of care
for stroke, from the emergency department to rehabilitation.”
Memorial Medical Center has been accredited by The Joint Commission
as a primary stroke center since 2010 and was first certified as a
comprehensive stroke center in 2015 and again in 2017.
The certification means that Memorial has highly qualified
physicians in key medical specialties (including neurology,
neurosurgery, diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology, and
emergency medicine), hospital staff with unique and ongoing
training, and the latest technology to provide each patient with a
full spectrum of treatment options and interventions, Whitaker said.
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Memorial’s comprehensive, interdisciplinary stroke team has the capability to
quickly evaluate stroke symptoms using advanced medical imaging and deliver
time-sensitive treatments and procedures to prevent death and life-altering
disabilities.
The stroke team at Memorial includes board-certified physicians and surgeons
from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Clinical Radiologists,
Mid-America Emergency Physicians and Springfield Clinic, in addition to health
care professionals from a variety of clinical disciplines.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult
disability in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Requirements for a comprehensive stroke center include having the
infrastructure, staff and training resources to provide state-of-the-art care to
all stroke patients; providing a dedicated neurointensive-care unit with
round-the-clock neurointensive care for complex stroke patients; and using
advanced imaging capabilities.
“We are extremely proud of the dedication and expertise of Memorial’s stroke
team, of their achievement in attaining this elite national designation as a
comprehensive stroke center, and the opportunity to provide the highest level of
stroke care to the patients, families and communities we serve,” Whitaker said.
[Memorial Health Systems] |
