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Newark, New Jersey—By demonstrating compliance with standards for health care quality and safety, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC), an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, was designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
“Achieving designation as a Primary Stroke Center recognizes Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care,” said John A. Brennan, MD, Executive Director, NBIMC. “It also shows the community that the quality care Newark Beth Israel provides meets the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients.”
To achieve this designation, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center had to meet certain criteria for its patient care and support services. These criteria include:
– An acute stroke team.
– Board certified neurologists and radiologists.
– Neurology and emergency department personnel trained in the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke.
– Neuro-imaging services capability available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
– Acute care rehabilitation services.
– Transfer arrangements with a Comprehensive Stroke Center in New Jersey that facilitate the transfer of patients with complex strokes to a Comprehensive Stroke Center for care when clinically warranted.
– Stroke database or registry capable of tracking outcomes for quality improvement and evaluation.
– Demonstrate a continuing commitment to ongoing education to the general public about stroke.
A stroke occurs by one of two mechanisms: either a part of the brain dies from lack of blood—most likely because one of the arteries that supply oxygen-carrying blood to the brain has been blocked or damaged—or alternatively, a blood vessel in the brain bursts and the resulting hemorrhage disrupts the brain. Designation as a Primary Stroke Center indicates that Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is a facility that has dedicated the resources to effectively treat a stroke patient during an emergency.
Recognizing the Warning Signs of Stroke
When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged. For example, someone who has a small stroke may experience only minor problems such as weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be paralyzed on one side or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than two thirds of survivors will have some type of disability. Recognizing risk factors and the warning signs, as well as seeking immediate treatment can save both lives and functioning.
Several factors that increase your risk of stroke include age, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, smoking and physical inactivity. It is important to recognize the signs of a stroke and get immediate medical care. To help identify the signs, “Think FAST.”
FAST is an acronym for recognizing and responding to the symptoms of stroke. It stands for face, arms, speech and time.
1. Face: Does the face look uneven? Ask them to smile.
2. Arm: Does one arm drift down? Ask them to raise both arms.
3. Speech: Does their speech sound strange? Ask them to repeat a phrase.
4. Time: Every second, brain cells die. Call 9-1-1 at any sign of stroke!
For more information about the warning signs of stroke or for a referral to a Newark Beth Israel Medical Center neurologist, please call 1-888-724-7123.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, a 673-bed regional care teaching hospital, provides comprehensive health care to its local communities and is a major referral and treatment center for the northern New Jersey metropolitan area. With more than 800 physicians, 3,200 employees and 150 volunteers, the Medical Center has over 300,000 outpatient visits and 25,000 admissions annually. For more information, please call Newark Beth Israel Medical Center at (973) 926-7000, or visit www.barnabashealth.org. For physician referral information, please call 1-888-724-7123. Follow us on Twitter: get real time news from the Saint Barnabas Health Care System at www.twitter.com/barnabas_health.
Date: January 11, 2011
Contact: Kathryn M. Ponzi
PR Specialist, Public Relations and Marketing
Phone: 973.322.4016
Fax: 973.322.4112
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