POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (August 3, 2022) — An advanced and potentially lifesaving procedure used in emergent stroke care is now being performed at MidHudson Regional Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth).
The most devastating strokes are caused by blockages of large arteries in the brain, and thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure performed by endovascular neurosurgeons to remove those blockages and restore blood flow before permanent damage is done. Time is critical in stroke care where mere minutes can be the difference between a patient's full recovery, a lifetime of disability, or worse.
MidHudson Regional Hospital becoming thrombectomy-capable means that community members living nearby now have a local option for efficient and effective stroke care, with the ability to leverage the Comprehensive Stroke Center specialists at WMCHealth's Westchester Medical Center.
The stroke care resources at MidHudson Regional Hospital also include telemedicine services that provide the hospital's neuroscience physicians with secure access to Westchester Medical Center stroke specialists for consultative services 24 hours a day, seven days a week*.
In cases where a stroke victim requires more advanced care, physicians at MidHudson Regional Hospital can transfer stroke patients seamlessly to Westchester Medical Center. Westchester Medical Center has the Hudson Valley's only Comprehensive Stroke Center and where a dedicated neuroscience intensive care unit and advanced stroke care technologies are available.
WMCHealth's Comprehensive Approach to Stroke Care
Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States with one stroke happening every 40 seconds. Quality stroke service is an important component of a community's healthcare offerings and through investments in the latest and most advanced stroke care technologies as well as the recruitment of notable neuroscience specialists, the WMCHealth Network has positioned itself as a leading provider of stroke prevention information, diagnosis and treatment.
"The addition of thrombectomy services at MidHudson Regional Hospital means more patients will have access to the immediate care they need close to home – potentially providing a greater chance for recovery and reduced risk for serious disability," said Ji Chong, MD Director of Stroke, for WMCHealth's MidHudson Regional Hospital and Westchester Medical Center. "The introduction of these services is part of our comprehensive regional approach to providing stroke care, as patients treated at MidHudson Regional Hospital will have direct access to advanced stroke care resources within the region."
Continued Investment in Providing Advanced Services to the Region
MidHudson Regional Hospital's new stroke care capabilities come at a time when WMCHealth continues to make significant enhancements to its health care infrastructure and services.
WMCHealth is currently building a new, pediatrics inpatient "neighborhood" at MidHudson Regional Hospital, which will double inpatient capacity. In addition, working with Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, WMCHealth announced a multimillion enhancement of MidHudson Regional Hospital's inpatient mental health unit as part of a plan to establish a Behavioral Healthcare Center of Excellence at the hospital. Also, a $92.9 million reimagining of the HealthAlliance Hospital at Mary's Avenue in Kingston, is continuing to progress and is slated for completion in Fall 2022.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with nine hospitals on seven campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level I (adult and pediatric), Level II and Level III trauma centers, the region's only acute care children's hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.
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*24/7 stroke care consultative services are also available via telemedicine to physicians at WMCHealth's HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston.