Stroke

When it comes to stroke care, time is brain, and fast, evidence-based stroke care saves lives. St. Luke’s is proud to be recognized for providing the most appropriate stroke care with distinctions from the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association.

Get with the Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus award; Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Recipient Three Years Running!

St. Luke’s University Hospital-Bethlehem and St. Luke’s Warren Campus are proud to be nationally recognized for stroke care with the top designation by the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association, Get with the Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award.* The award recognizes St. Luke’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatments according to nationally recognized research-based guidelines. St. Luke’s works together with local EMS partners to provide fast, evidence-based stroke care so that our patients can achieve the best possible stroke outcomes.

* Target: Stroke Honor Roll-Elite Plus: Hospitals achieving time to thrombolytic therapy within 60 minutes in 75 percent or more of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV tPA AND door-to-needle time to thrombolytic therapy within 45 minutes in 50 percent of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV tPA to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.

Additional 2018 Get with the Guidelines® Distinctions:

• St. Luke’s Anderson Campus: Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award
• St. Luke’s Monroe Campus: Stroke Silver & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award
• St. Luke’s Quakertown Campus: Stroke Gold Plus & Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award
• St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus: Stroke Gold Plus award

St. Luke's Bethlehem Campus Is a Top Center for Stroke Care

St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem is designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. The designation by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission is given to programs that offer the highest and most advanced level of stroke care.

About St. Luke’s Stroke Center

• St. Luke’s University Health Network use the medically advanced software iSchemaView RAPID^TM to generate maps of damaged brain tissue to help determine treatment options. Available at St. Luke’s Comprehensive Stroke Center-Bethlehem Campus, the iSchemaView RAPID™ Imaging Platform software works with CT perfusion scans to produce clear images of the brain and evaluate blood flow in patients who have had an acute ischemic stroke. By comparing flow in different parts of the brain, doctors can select those patients who will most benefit from thrombectomy, even if it’s up to 24 hours from the onset of stroke.
• St. Luke’s University Health Network supports a multidisciplinary emergency response team for the management of acute stroke patients as well as a team of health care providers dedicated to the ongoing care of stroke victims. Trained stroke specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Rapid diagnosis, transport and evaluation are crucial elements in effective stroke care. Close relationships with local EMS shaves precious time from the stroke care process.
• Patients receive the most effective stroke therapies, including intravenous thrombolysis (a clot-busting medication) and intra-arterial thrombectomy (a procedure to remove a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain).
• St. Luke’s is dedicated to specialized care and collaboration between patients and families and the health care team.
• St. Luke’s provides education to the community and are supported by the American Stroke Association’s public awareness campaign and Get with the Guidelines Stroke initiative.