Stroke Care You Can Count On

By Paul Wright, MD, Senior Vice President and System Chair of the Nuvance Health Neuroscience Institute, now part of Northwell Health

When a stroke strikes, every second counts. The sooner someone receives care, the better their chances for recovery. That’s why at Nuvance Health, now part of Northwell Health, we’ve built a stroke care program that offers nationally recognized, advanced services from caring specialists.

We’re proud to consistently earn national recognition for delivering exceptional stroke care across our hospitals in the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut. Most recently, five of our hospitals received Get With The Guidelines® quality achievement awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association:

• Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• Northern Dutchess Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

• Sharon Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Rural Stroke Gold.

These awards reflect our relentless commitment to providing timely, evidence-based stroke treatment that saves lives and helps people recover more fully.

At Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital, our endovascular neurosurgeons use advanced tools like biplane angiography to precisely remove brain vessel blockages during an ischemic stroke. Vassar Brothers Medical Center also has a portable MRI to help manage strokes and other neurological conditions quickly.

In addition to these recognitions, several of our hospitals have earned stroke center certifications from The Joint Commission. Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital are certified as Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centers — a mark of excellence in endovascular stroke treatment. Northern Dutchess and Sharon Hospitals are Primary Stroke Centers, and New Milford Hospital is certified as Acute Stroke Ready.

But great stroke care is about more than technology and awards. It’s about having highly trained teams — emergency responders, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and rehabilitation therapists — who act fast, work together and genuinely care about your recovery.

We’re also committed to stroke education and prevention. We want everyone in our community to know the signs of a stroke and to call 911 immediately. Use the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. to remember the warning signs:

• Balance: Sudden loss of coordination

• Eyes: Sudden vision changes

• Face: Drooping on one side

• Arms: Weakness or numbness

• Speech: Slurred or difficult speech

• Time: Time to call 911. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. Emergency medical services can start stroke evaluation to expedite your care at the emergency department.

Timely care makes all the difference. You can count on us for stroke care — close to home and delivered with heart.

Learn more about stroke services at the Nuvance Health Neuroscience Institute, now part of Northwell Health.