New Island Hospital Designated as Stroke Center

New Island Hospital has been granted official status as a Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health's (DOH) State Hospital Review and Planning Council.  Stroke Center designation is granted only to medical institutions that meet the highest patient care standards, including the ability to respond and treat patients quickly, as well as providing the most up-to-date treatment options. 

As a designated Stroke Center, New Island Hospital becomes a preferred destination for EMS Services transporting emergency stroke patients.  "Time is critical in treating a stroke patient," says Aaron Glatt, M.D., President and CEO of New Island Hospital.  "We're a neighborhood hospital, and we're proud to be able to offer our community the very best stroke treatment just a short distance from home."

Patients who are brought to New Island Hospital with a suspected stroke will be rapidly evaluated and stabilized by the Emergency Room physician.  The physician's first concern is to ensure that blood pressure is well controlled and that blood is being adequately oxygenated.  Once stabilized, the patient is then referred for a CT Scan to rule out any hemorrhage in the brain.

If the patient presents to the Emergency Department within three hours of the onset of symptoms, the patient may be a candidate for thrombolytic or "clot buster" therapy.  With this treatment, the clot blocking the artery in the brain can be dissolved, which re-establishes blood flow to the affected area.  Prompt treatment with these medications has been shown to reduce neurologic disability from stroke.

The Stroke Center designation is the latest in New Island Hospital's commitment to bring its community members the very best medical care.  New Island Hospital was the first hospital on Long Island to offer the latest treatments for patients who sustain an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.  Therapeutic hypothermia, or cooling the patient to 91º-92º Fahrenheit, has been shown to reduce mortality and neurologic deficits in patients who sustain a cardiac arrest.