Holy Name Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in New Jersey to earn Primary Stroke Center designation by The Joint Commission, the nation's leading healthcare evaluation and accreditation organization. Today, it not only remains an elite designation but also repeatedly earns the highest award for stroke care - Gold Plus - from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Holy Name's designation as a receiving stroke center is due, in part, to its enhanced technology. Through teleneurology, patients are connected via video with a stroke specialist 24 hours a day. This highly trained, stroke management physician works with an acute stroke team at Holy Name to immediately evaluate the patient through a standard diagnostic protocol of tests, including a CT scan. If appropriate, a clot-busting medication or mechanical intervention is administered to help prevent permanent disabilities that may be caused by a stroke.
Once stroke patients are stabilized, they are moved from the Emergency Department to an inpatient room, where they are monitored and given any additional necessary medical care. They are evaluated, with a complete neurological assessment, by a multidisciplinary team for physical, occupational, speech and swallowing therapy to maximize functioning and mobility in recovery.