The Stroke Center at JFK Medical Center is a State-Designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, offering a multidisciplinary approach to stroke evaluation and treatment, providing inpatient and outpatient programs. Rapid evaluation and treatment by our stroke team in the Emergency Room is followed by a more comprehensive work-up in the Neuro-Vascular Unit, which has been designed to care for stroke and TIA ("mini-stroke") patients. Comprehensive rehabilitation services are offered in the stroke and brain-trauma units of the Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.
The Stroke Center at JFK Medical Center offers a six-bed Inpatient Unit specifically developed to evaluate, monitor and treat patients with recent stroke and TIA (mini-stroke). Fellowship-trained stroke neurologists supervise the unit and the nurses are experienced in monitoring and treating neurology and cardiology complications that can arise in stroke patients.
OUR STROKE TEAM INCLUDES:
- Neurologists Specializing in Stroke Management
- An Experienced ER Stroke Team (physicians and nurses)
- Neuro-radiologists
- Interventional Neuro-radiologists
- Vascular Neurosurgeons
- Stroke Rehabilitation Specialists (physicians and therapists)
- Social Workers
WE OFFER STATE-OF-THE-ART DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES:
- Non-invasive vascular testing
- Cardiac monitoring and testing
- Spiral CT scan and CT angiography
- Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography
- 3D Rotational and Routine Cerebral angiography
WE OFFER STATE -OF-THE-ART TREATMENTS FOR STROKE:
- Intravenous and intra-arterial Thrombolysis with TPA (a drug which breaks down blood clots)
- Mechanical endovascular clot retrieval (MERCI)
- Endarterectomy which is used to open up narrowed vessels
- Carotid and Vertebral artery angioplasty and stenting
- Intracranial stenting
- Aneurysm coiling
- Neurosurgical interventions that may arrest the progression of acute stroke
CLINICAL TRIALS:
A number of clinical trials are in progress at our Stroke Center. These focus on drugs intended to improve outcome in stroke. For more information, click on clinical trials (or here) . We are also testing new methods of treating and preventing strokes using surgical or interventional radiological approaches. For information about clinical stroke trials, call Albert Obiozo, M.D., clinical trials coordinator, at (732) 321-7000, ext.68897.
STROKE REHABILITATION:
Once a patient has been stabilized and treated in the hospital, the patient may be transferred to the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute , which is also located on the JFK Medical Center campus. Both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs are available for patients based on their individualized needs. Rehabilitation of stroke patients are provided by:
- Rehabilitation physicians
- Occupational therapist
- Physical therapists
- Speech therapists
- Neuro-psychologists
- Nutritionists
- Social workers
STROKE CLINIC:
Anyone who has had a stroke or a TIA is at risk for future strokes. A complete evaluation and assessment to identify and treat risk factors and the causes of stroke is the key to preventing future stroke incidence. In the stroke clinic, patients are evaluated by fellowship-trained stroke neurologists who recommend the specific approach that would best prevent strokes. For an appointment to the stroke clinic, call (732) 321-7010.
Stroke Team
Martin Gizzi, MD, PhD
Spozhmy Panezai, M.D.
STROKE IS A "BRAIN ATTACK"
STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY
STROKE IS TREATABLE
STROKE IS PREVENTABLE
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF STROKE, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY