2007 Press Releases

Saint Barnabas Medical Center Designated
Comprehensive Stroke Center By State Department Of Health And Human Services

Livingston, N.J. -- Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston has been designated a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the State Department of Health and Human Services.

“The designation as a stroke center is a credit to our high caliber staff and commitment to bringing the highest level of quality care to our patients," said John Bonamo, M.D., M.S., Executive Director of Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “"We are committed to the recovery of our stroke patients and provide a continuum of care that includes rapid assessment, comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.”

To become a Comprehensive Stroke Center, a hospital must offer specialized care to patients who suffer the most complex strokes and need specialized testing and immediate interventions. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is among an elite group of hospitals who have organized a group of stroke specialists for a stroke response team known as the Brain Attack Team (BAT).

This multidisciplinary team, comprised of an attending neurologist, medical resident, and stroke nurse practitioner, is available at Saint Barnabas Medical Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week to race to each incoming stroke patient’s side in the Emergency Department and make an immediate assessment. The hospital operator alerts the entire team via beeper simultaneously, bringing them to bedside within ten minutes. Also alerted, a CT technician and pharmacist provide immediate scans and medication.

“This system has allowed our stroke specialist team to assemble and respond to every stroke patient more rapidly than ever,” says Christopher Freer, D.O., Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

Stroke Emergency: Why Seconds Count
Over 750,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. Yet few people know the medical facts about a stroke.
With stroke patients, every second counts. There is a three hour window of time for clot-busting medication to be given for patients to fully benefit from its healing effects. After 180 minutes, if the same medication is given, the risk of bleeding into the brain is increased.

“Most strokes are ischemic, which means they occur from clots blocking the blood flow to the brain,” says Doreen Monks, R.N., MSN, Advanced Practice Nurse and Program Coordinator, The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “If tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is given within 180 minutes to treat the acute stroke, some patients see a dramatic reversal of stroke symptoms and fewer long-term complications.”

Not every stroke patient should be treated with tPA. While ischemic strokes benefit from this medication, someone with a hemorrhagic stroke, caused by bleeding in the brain, should not be given tPA as it could cause increased bleeding. It is vitally important for the stroke to be assessed properly.

Warning Signs of Stroke
Families must recognize the warning signs and call 911 if they observe:
• weakness or numbness of one side of the body
• inability to speak or understand what others are saying, slurred speech
• vision disturbance (usually in one eye)
• headache (often described as “the worst headache of my life”)
• dizziness or vertigo

Remember the acronym FAST for the most common stroke symptoms:

Face Does face look uneven? Ask the person to smile.
Arm Does one arm drift down? Ask the person to lift both arms.
Speech Does their speech sound strange? Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase (i.e. The sky is blue.)
Time If you observe any of these symptoms it’s TIME to call 911.

Members of The Comprehensive Stroke Center include attending neurologists, attending physiatrist (a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation), advanced practice nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. To reach The Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas, please call (973) 322-9742 or visit The Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas.

Date: October 31, 2007

Contact:  Robin Lally, (973) 322-4923

[ top ]