The First Certified Stroke Center in the Lehigh Valley

It means you will receive treatment within 80 minutes of your arrival

stroke The Stroke Center recently was re-certified by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, which has bestowed this two-year Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality on only 237 hospitals nationwide. The hospital initially earned accreditation in March 2004, becoming the second
stroke center in Pennsylvania to do so. LVH currently is the only hospital in Northeast Pennsylvania with this designation and one of 10 in the Commonwealth.

"We're proud of this achievement," says John Castaldo, M.D., chief of neurology at LVH and medical director of its Stroke Center. "It re-affirms our commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and community. It recognizes the ability of our center to give fast, effective treatment that
improves stroke patients' chances of recovery."

Certification is not just a piece of paper. Certification means that patients can receive the clotbusting drug tPA any time of the day or night within 80 minutes of arrival at the hospital. To deliver brain-saving care this fast, the hospital has a Stroke Rapid Response Team. The team includes emergency services, neurology, radiology and nursing.

To earn Primary Stroke Center Certification, Lehigh Valley Hospital also demonstrated compliance with the recommendations of the Brain Attack Coalition:

Having acute stroke rapid response treatment teams similar to trauma teams in the U.S.
Operating inpatient stroke care units
Using pre-written, detailed stroke care protocols
Having an integrated emergency response system for managing patients experiencing a stroke, with support services including continuously available brain imaging with interpretation and rapid laboratory testing
Demonstrating a commitment from administration with strong clinical leadership to providing ongoing community education about stroke risks, symptoms and treatment

LVH's Stroke Center features a Stroke Team that has full-time physician coverage and is supported by a care team that includes emergency services, neurology, radiology and nursing. It is the only program in the region that
can treat stroke patients with the clotbuster tPa any time of the day or night. Nine percent of these patients receive tPa, regardless of arrival time, compared to 3 percent nationwide. The Stroke Center participates in multi-center clinical research studies on promising new therapies for stroke patients.

This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM

Neurological and Neurosurgical Care

The Warning Signs of Stroke
If you experience these, call
9-1-1 immediately

Know these warning signs for stroke and teach them to others:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience any of these symptoms!
Every second counts…time lost is brain lost!

For the 13th year, we are listed among nation's best by U.S. News & World Report

Stroke Centers Earn National Certification from JCAHO

We are a Magnet hospital that provides top quality nursing care for you.

©2008 Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network
LVH Info Line: 610-402-CARE
Cedar Crest & I-78, P.O. Box 689, Allentown, PA 18105-1556

Lehigh Valley Hospital has campuses in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa. and serves the Pennsylvania communities of Easton, Doylestown, Quakertown, Hazelton, Lehighton, Perkasie, Pottstown, Pottsville, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Stroudsburg, and the Poconos and also Phillipsburg and Flemington, N.J., and western New Jersey. You don't have to travel to Philadelphia or New York for quality health care.