Ronald Benitez, M.D., Neurosurgery, medical director for Stroke Rescue Center at Jersey Shore, explains, “Meridian Health treats more than 2,000 stroke patients a year. In severe cases, patients may suffer a hemorrhagic stroke, when an aneurysm ruptures in the brain, or a severe ischemic stroke, when a blood vessel is blocked. For these patients, immediate access to the Neuro-ICU’s state-of-the-art treatments, physician experts and advanced monitoring can dramatically improve survival rates.”
Jersey Shore’s 12-bed Neuro-ICU provides post-operative critical care for the most complex neurological procedures. Patients receive intensive monitoring, and around-the-clock care from a team of clinicians from neurosurgery, neurology, trauma, radiology, anesthesiology, nutrition, pharmacology, physical therapy and social work. Patients typically require a one to two week stay in the Neuro-ICU, and are assigned a dedicated nurse for one-on-one care.
According to Adam Shiroff, M.D., chief of Trauma and medical director, Neuro-Intensive Care at Jersey Shore, “When someone experiences a traumatic brain injury or a massive stroke, timely care from a team of specialists can make all the difference in their recovery. As the first in the region, Jersey Shore’s Neuro-ICU provides these patients a comprehensive post-operative recovery experience supported by neurological and neurosurgical intensivists, the most advanced technology and monitoring, and educational resources for families and patients.”