On May 5, 2008 Newton Medical Center received designation from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as a Primary Stroke Center. Our multidisciplinary stroke response team has established rapid emergency protocols to treat patients who arrive with the symptoms of an acute onset of stroke. The physicians and nurses at Newton Medical Center have advanced training in stroke care, and utilize state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Since stroke cuts off blood supply to part of the brain, which causes brain cells to die, rapid treatment can minimize disability. Newton Medical Center is the only facility in Warren and Sussex counties to receive state designation for stroke care.

Newton Medical Center’s stroke protocol was carefully designed by the Hospital’s multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. This protocol aligns pre-hospital community emergency squad communication, Emergency Department and Stroke Team response, inpatient treatment plans, technology and diagnostics, rehabilitation and therapies, individual support, home care and community awareness to enhance individual outcomes and help each patient resume life after stroke as quickly and fully as possible.

To achieve Primary Stroke Center status, Newton Medical Center had to meet several criteria, including:

• Having a specially trained, multi-disciplinary acute stroke team available around the clock, ready to see patients in less than 15 minutes;
• Being staffed by physicians and nurses with advanced training in stroke care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week;
• Always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans;
• Providing rehabilitation services for stroke patients; and
• Offering community education about the risk factors and early symptoms of stroke.

“Quick diagnosis and treatment are critical for minimizing the effects of a stroke, which can include paralysis, slurred speech and cognitive impairment,” said Newton Medical Center Stroke Program co-Medical Director and Board Certified Neurologist, Yevgeniy Khesin, M.D. “With this designation, state and national authorities have acknowledged that stroke care has reached a new level here and our patients will benefit from our commitment to providing the best possible care in a community setting.”