HINSDALE, Ill. — Barbara’s Sunday morning changed in an instant when she suddenly became dizzy, weak, began vomiting and slurring her speech.
The 72-year-old Willow Springs resident was rushed to UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale, where tests showed that atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, had caused an ischemic stroke -- the most common type of stroke -- in which a blood clot blocks an artery supplying blood to the brain.
Within an hour of arriving, Omer Doron, MD, PhD, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon with UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale, performed an emergency thrombectomy using advanced medical imaging to navigate a catheter from Barbara’s thigh, through her blood vessels and into the brain, where he removed the clot and restored blood flow.
“It’s amazing to think my symptoms started at 10:15 in the morning and everything was taken care of only a few hours later,” Barbara said. “I am thankful to the entire hospital team for giving me my life back and sending me home. To have this right here locally, I feel I was so lucky to end up in that ER at that time.”
The advanced level of care that saved Barbara’s life or prevented her from experiencing serious disability has been recognized by the Joint Commission, which has awarded UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. That means UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale provides the next generation of stroke care and has met and seeks to maintain Joint Commission’s high standards in providing stroke care.
“Comprehensive stroke centers strive to provide the best medical level of treatment to the most complex conditions in medicine and to provide it at a high, academic level with well-trained people and cutting-edge equipment,” Dr. Doron said. “You want a center that’s connecting patients with the right people and the right academic support and affiliation. UChicago Medicine partnering with AdventHealth is exactly that power.”
The Comprehensive Stroke Center certification reflects the hospital’s ability to care for the most complex stroke cases with a multidisciplinary team that includes acute stroke specialists, neurologists, neurointerventional radiologists, neuroimaging specialists, neurosurgeons and rehabilitation therapists.
“A positive outcome for a patient experiencing a stroke is the result of an entire team working together,” said Beejal Amin, MD, a neurological surgeon and Regional Medical Director of Neurosurgery for UChicago Medicine AdventHealth. “Success depends on seamless coordination across many disciplines to give patients the best possible chance at recovery.”
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale’s certification is valid for two years. The Joint Commission’s designation recognizes hospitals that meet rigorous requirements for stroke care, including collaboration with emergency medical services, an acute stroke team available 24/7, advanced diagnostic testing, 24/7 availability of specialists, advanced treatment capabilities and the ability to accept stroke patients from other hospitals.
“This certification is a reflection of the exceptional care our teams provide and gives our community confidence that advanced, world-class stroke care is available close to home when every minute matters,” said Elise MacCarroll-Wright, president and CEO of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale. “It represents our commitment to combining clinical excellence with compassionate, whole-person care.”
All four hospitals in the system are connected through the UChicago Medicine AdventHealth network, allowing patients to be transferred to Hinsdale for comprehensive stroke care when needed.
Joint Commission designations at other UChicago Medicine AdventHealth hospitals include Bolingbrook and La Grange as Advanced Primary Stroke Centers and GlenOaks as a Primary Stroke Center.
Bolingbrook, GlenOaks, Hinsdale and La Grange have all earned the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines Stroke GOLD PLUS quality achievement award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
Bolingbrook, Hinsdale and La Grange also have been recognized as AHA Target: Stroke Honor Roll – Elite hospitals for treating 85% of acute ischemic stroke patients with clot-busting medication within 60 minutes of their arrival time.
Learn more about stroke care at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth.
