Stroke Care
As a Joint Commission Advanced Primary Stroke Center, Northwest Health - Porter offers care that complies with national standards regarding stroke diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation - with the ultimate goal of reducing the time between stroke onset and treatment.
When a patient comes to the hospital with stroke symptoms, it's crucial to make a proper diagnosis quickly in order to begin treatment — immediate treatment can help avoid or minimize the effects of stroke. The stroke team at Northwest Health - Porter has the experience and technology to delivery potentially life-saving care.
At Northwest Health - Porter, we focus on:
- Speed – Treatments given during the first three hours after a stroke can greatly reduce or even reverse the effects of stroke, so stroke care professionals are ready to jump into action immediately.
- Knowledge - Doctors, nurses, emergency professionals and other specialists meet high educational standards, and are specially trained to identify stroke symptoms and administer the latest treatments.
- Technology – The stroke care team utilizes advanced testing and imaging technology, allowing them to identify the type of stroke within minutes so they are able to begin treatment. A 64-slice CT scanner provides the necessary speed and resolution required for rapid imaging of blood vessels in the brain, so doctors can begin treatment as quickly as possible.
- Telemedicine - Patients exhibiting symptoms of stroke can be examined remotely by a neurologist who specializes in stroke care. The neurologist is available any time day or night via a telemedic computer. This allows for an ideal collaboration between the emergency department's staff and physicians and the consulting neurologist. The physicians can share data, images and discuss the best course of treatment for the patient.
Treatment
The trained stroke care team at Northwest Health - Porter delivers potentially life-saving care for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, and can perform minimally invasive treatment options, including:
- Angioplasty and stent placement to open blocked arteries and veins
- Embolizing agents (clotting medications) delivered by catheter to stop blood flow resulting from hemorrhagic strokes
- Thrombolitic therapy to deliver clot-dissolving medicine to treat ischemic strokes
- Minimally invasive surgery to remove a clot, or repair arteries and veins
- Catheter-based procedures to close the patent foramen ovale (PFO)
Care Through Recovery
Northwest Health - Porter's rehabilitation care is designed to help individuals regain their independence, and includes specialized services for stroke recovery. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team provides caring, personalized assistance to help patients meet their goals.
Stroke care is available at Northwest Health - Porter and Northwest Health - Portage.