Reading Hospital Certified as Comprehensive Stroke Center

From left to right: Shahin Manoochehri, MD; Charles F. Barbera, MD; and Brandon K. Root, MD.

It is an honor to share that Reading Hospital has been certified as an advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) by The Joint Commission.

We are grateful to provide our community with a Comprehensive Stroke Center that has long beenrecognized for excellence. Every year, our high-volume program treats more than 1,000 stroke patients. Reading Hospital has also been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America's Top 100 Hospitals™ for stroke.

This certification, the highest and most demanding level of accreditation a stroke center can achieve, recognizes our hospital for its ability to treat the most complex stroke cases, as well asaneurysms and other serious neurological conditions.

Stroke takes the lives ofroughly 170,000 people each year, and whenseconds count, the outcome of a patient alldepends on how and when a patient is treated. In our Comprehensive Stroke Center, we can treat all types of stroke,thanks to around-the-clock access to advanced imaging capabilities, neurointerventionists, neurosurgeons, and neuro-intensive patient care units, among others.

This eight-month comprehensive stroke accreditation process involved many helping hands and virtually every department at the hospital. I am grateful to each and every one.This achievement highlights our superior clinical quality and the exceptional skill of our team.It also recognizes how our staff members work together to meet the needs of all in our community.I would be remiss not to mention Brandon K. Root, MD, Neurological Surgery; Shahin Manoochehri, MD, Neurological Surgery; and Sarah Keller, MSN, wholed this initiative and helped bring this certification to fruition.

Comprehensive Stroke Center Standards

To achieve our status as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, our team had to meet several rigorous standards, including:

• Advanced imaging capabilities are offered24/7 for stroke care.
• An onsite rapid response team of neurologists and emergency physicians.
• Around-the-clock access to a team of neurointerventionists trained to remove blood clots from brain vessels and restore blood flow to preserve brain tissue.
• Neuroradiologists on staff provide expert interpretation of brain imagingand assist with timely treatment decisions.
• A team of vascular neurosurgeons who specializein blood vessel abnormalities.
• Vascular surgeons treat carotid stenosis with surgical procedures, stenting, and trans-carotid stenting (TCAR).
• A dedicated neuro-intensive patient care unit to provideadvanced multimodality monitoring 24/7.
• A team of neurointensivists who specialize in acute brain disorders and can treat life-threatening medical complications that are impactedby a stroke.
• A clinical team that is active in stroke research to helpimprove outcomes.

Stroke Warning Signs

A strokeis a serious medical emergency, and symptoms can happenquickly. We recommend using the "BE FAST" system to recognize the warning signs of a stroke:

• Balance: Sudden loss of balance.
• Eyes: Vision loss in one or both eyes.
• Face: Weakness or drooping on one side.
• Arms: Weakness in one arm.
• Speech: Slurred speech or sudden confusion.
• Time: Call 9-1-1.

Stroke and Neurology Resources

When seconds count, count on life-saving stroke care at Reading Hospital. To learn more about Reading Hospital's Neurosciences program and the Comprehensive Stroke Center, visit towerhealth.org/neuro.