What is a Primary Stroke Center?*
To be certified as a Primary Stroke Center, a hospital must meet the following criteria, according to the NJ Department of Health.
- Have a stroke team, which includes board-certified neurologists and radiologists
- Have neurology and Emergency Department personnel trained in diagnosing and treating stroke
- Offer neuroimaging services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as rehabilitation services
- Maintain transfer arrangements with a Comprehensive Stroke Center in NJ
- Track outcomes for stroke patients
- Educate the public about strokes
What is a Comprehensive Stroke Center?*
Comprehensive Stroke Centers provide the same services as Primary Stroke Centers, in addition to:
- A neurosurgical team capable of assessing and treating complex stroke and stroke-like syndromes
- Neuroimaging services with digital subtraction angiography and a special procedures suite equipped for neuro-interventional procedures that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Comprehensive rehabilitation services either on site or by transfer agreement with another health care facility
- The development of policies regarding ongoing evaluation and quality improvement activities by using data maintained by the center
RWJBarnabas Health Primary Stroke Centers
- Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville
- Community Medical Center, Toms River
- Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City
- Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch
- Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, Lakewood
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville
- Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth
RWJBarnabas Health Comprehensive Stroke Centers
Stroke Symptoms
- Balance – Have you lost your balance, felt a sudden headache or felt dizzy?
- Eyes – Is your vision blurry?
- Face – Are you feeling numbness, or seeing drooping, on one side of your face?
- Arm – Do you have feeling in both arms? Can you raise them both up without one drifting down?
- Speech – Are you slurring your speech? Can you form coherent sentences?
- Terrible Headache – Sudden terrible or ‘thunderclap’ headache with no known cause
- Time – If any of the above symptoms are occurring, call 911 immediately.
For more information visit Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack.
*Source: nj.gov