Primary Stroke Center
Expert Care for Stroke Patients at Penn Highlands Mon Valley.
The Gold Standard in Stroke Care in Mon Valley
Penn Highlands Mon Valley is a Primary Stroke Center, offering expert stroke care and stroke management in central Pennsylvania. While all of Penn Highlands ERs and hospitals are skilled at assessing and treating stroke patients, Penn Highlands Mon Valley’s advanced stroke certification reflects its specialized stroke program, integration of patient involvement in their care, use of best care standards, and outcomes tracking.
Penn Highlands Mon Valley has been awarded the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Achievement Award Hospital, and AFIB-Gold recognitions. These achievements show Penn Highlands Mon Valley’s commitment to the best in patient care and quality improvement.
What is the Penn Highlands Mon Valley Primary Stroke Center?
At Penn Highlands Mon Valley, you can expect prompt stroke care that is consistent with the latest scientific guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. As a Primary Stroke Center, Penn Highlands Mon Valley offers advanced stroke care, a dedicated stroke inpatient floor, in-hospital rehabilitation, and follow-up outpatient care including continued community stroke and rehab care.
Patients who come to the Penn Highlands Mon Valley Emergency Department with signs and symptoms of stroke can be assessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a stroke neurologist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) via computer interaction. This enables the UPMC stroke neurologist and Penn Highlands emergency physicians to develop the best plan of care for each patient. Penn Highlands Mon Valley, in partnership with UPMC, utilizes Viz.ai, an artificial intelligence program that scans any images of potential stroke patients and alerts the care team of suspected stroke within minutes. Since implementation in 2022, more than 200 stroke patients have benefited from Viz.ai at Mon Valley.
What are signs of a stroke?
Anyone suspected of a stroke must be treated as soon as possible! If you suspect someone is having a stroke, call 9-1-1 at once!
A stroke occurs when there is an interruption of the blood supply to a part of the brain, either by blockage of a vessel or rupture of a blood vessel. This interruption of blood supply causes a part of the brain to become damaged and die. The effects of a stroke can be minimal or catastrophic depending on the size and location as well as how quickly it is treated and blood flow is restored.
The area of the brain affected by a stroke will determine what functions are affected. Different areas of the brain control different body functions. Depending on the location and extent of damage, a stroke can result in impaired speech, movement or memory. However, stroke rehabilitation can help restore function or help patients learn ways to compensate for the damaged functions.
Some signs and symptoms of a stroke can be:
- sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- sudden change in vision in one or both eyes
- slurred speech, trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech
- sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination difficulty walking
- severe unexplained headache
Review this BeFast Stroke Guide for quick tips on how to recognize a stroke.
How does Mon Valley utilize artificial intelligence to improve stroke management?
Penn Highlands Mon Valley uses Viz.ai, an artificial intelligence program that scans all images of suspected stroke patients and flags cases of suspected stroke. Traditionally, it can take upwards of 2 hours for a radiologist to review images. Viz.ai greatly reduces that time by flagging cases that need immediate attention. This then allows the Mon Valley stroke management team to provide immediate interventions. Since implementation, hundreds of stroke patients have received quicker stroke intervention thanks to Viz.ai. When it comes to stroke, time is brain, and Viz.ai allows for quicker treatment time and better outcomes.
Viz.ai is a program used in partnership with UPMC, which works with all Penn Highlands stroke centers to provide expert stroke care.
What type of inpatient stroke care does Penn Highlands Mon Valley offer?
Penn Highlands Mon Valley assesses and treats stroke patients immediately in its emergency room. Once the patient is stabilized, stroke patients are cared for in Mon Valley’s designated stroke unit. A multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, neurologists, rehabilitation therapists, dietitians, and social workers, works closely with the patient and their family to create a stroke management care plan. This ensures that patient goals are met and their disability is minimized as much as possible.
What does Penn Highlands offer for stroke rehabilitation?
While at Mon Valley, patients benefit from inpatient rehabilitation that includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy. The Rehabilitation Center at Penn Highlands Mon Valley provides intense inpatient rehabilitation to help patients regain function after a stroke. Once recovery and progress are made and the patient returns home, Penn Highlands Health Care at Home, Home Health Care can provide in-home rehab services for continued improvement.
