The Neuroscience Center of Excellence at Winchester Medical Center brings together a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, highly trained staff and advanced technology to provide a comprehensive range of services. Patients of receive diagnosis and treatment for conditions of the brain, central nervous system and spine.
What does being designated as a Neuroscience Center of Excellence mean?
Winchester Medical Center is among the nation's top neuroscience sites, designated as a Neuroscience Center of Excellence (COE), in 2006.
The survey analyzed 150 hospital-based neuroscience programs, across 41 states. Only 42% of those programs - including
Winchester Medical Center - received sufficient scores to be recognized as a
2006 Neuroscience Center of Excellence.
Hospital performance is determined by measuring program progress in four key areas: Clinical and Research Programs, Staff, Facilities & Technology, and Business. The survey is co-sponsored by NeuroSource Inc., the nation's only healthcare company focused exclusively on the business of neuroscience, and HealthTech, a non-profit health technology research and education organization.
Neurology |
Interventional Neurology |
Epilepsy |
Inpatient Neurology Unit | Neurosurgery | Neurodiagnostics | Neurodiagnostic Sleep Labs
Neurology
Valley Health offers comprehensive care for patients with neurological conditions and disorders such as seizure disorders, headache, sleep disorders, movement disorders, and stroke including neurointerventional treatment using a clot retrieval device and aneurysm coiling.
Winchester Medical Center's Neuroscience Center has been certified by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center since November 2006. The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. This certification means that the Winchester Medical Center has continued to demonstrate that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.
Each day, nearly 2,000 people in the United States suffer a
stroke or brain attack. On average, someone suffers a stroke ever 45 second and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today. Each year, more than $40 billion is spent on the care of individuals who have suffered a stroke. WMC treats approximately 500 patients per year for stroke related diagnoses.
Most strokes are caused by the build-up of plaque in the arteries carrying blood to the brain. It is believed by many healthcare professionals that 80% of all strokes could be prevented. There are many things you can do to reduce your risk of stroke.
Know your
uncontrollable risk factors for
stroke:
- Age, for every decade over 55 years of age stroke risk increases
- Gender, men have a slightly higher stroke risk than women
- Family history, people with a family history of stroke are at risk for stroke themselves
- Race, African Americans and Hispanics have 2-3 times the stroke risk of most other ethnic groups
- Previous TIA (mini-stroke) or stroke, more than 1/3 of people who have TIA’s will go on to have a stroke and if you already had a stroke you are up to 10 times more likely to have another
Know you
controllable risk factors for
stroke and work with your physician who can guide you in making good choices to help decrease your risk.
- High blood pressure is the single most controllable risk factor for stroke. Having high blood pressure increases stroke risk 4 to 6 times
- Diabetes
- Heart disease and high cholesterol
- Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart beat that can increase stroke risk 4 to 6 times
- Smoking doubles your risk for stroke
- Excess weight makes people more likely to have other stroke risk factors
Signs of Stroke/Brain Attack:
- Sudden Weakness/numbness 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
If any of these signs occur,
CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. Getting treatment within 60 minutes may prevent disability, and increase chances of survival. It may also facilitate the administration of the clot busting drug Alteplase, also known as TPA or the use of MERCI which is a clot removal device approved for stroke treatment in some patients.
For more information about the stroke program at Winchester Medical Center, please contact the Stroke Program Coordinator, Debby Massie, BSN, RN, CNRN at 540-536-4157 or by email at dmassie@valleyhealthlink.com.
Interventional Neurology
Winchester Medical Center also provides state of the art physician expertise and technology in the treatment of stroke and conditions that may contribute to stroke, like carotid artery disease and brain aneurysms. Interventional Neurology is a fairly new subspecialty of Neurology for minimally-invasive treatment of diseases of arteries and veins of brain. This specialty uses technology similar to a cardiac catheterization. Interventional Neurologists are board certified in Neurology with training in vascular and stroke neurology or neurocritical care (1-2 years) followed by training in neurointerventional procedures for an additional two years period. Some of the neurointerventional procedures are discussed below.
The MERCI Retrieval System is a FDA approved device for restoring blood flow in the brain by removing blood clots in patients who are having a stroke. Our interventional neurology team is specially trained in the use of this device which may significantly reduce disability and improve outcomes in certain stroke patients who are assessed as good candidates for this procedure. In most cases this treatment needs to be started within 8 hours of stroke symptom onset.
Intra-arterial TPA is also an available treatment for restoring blood flow to the brain in some patients having a stroke. The clot busting drug may be given to the patient through an artery by the interventional neurology team within 3-6 hours of stroke symptom onset.
Carotid Artery Disease
Your carotid arteries are located on each side of your neck and extend from your aorta in your chest to the base of your skull. These arteries supply blood to your brain. You have one main carotid artery on each side, and each of these divides into two major branches, the external and the internal carotid arteries. The external carotid supplies blood to your face and scalp. Your internal carotid artery is more important because it supplies blood to the brain.
If you have been diagnosed with significant carotid artery disease, your physician can help you decide the best treatment for you which may include non-invasive medical treatment, carotid artery surgery, or carotid stenting.
Medical treatment may include medications and changes in lifestyle to prevent increase of carotid artery disease.
Carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure in which plaque and clots are removed from the carotid artery. This surgery may be performed by a neurosurgeon or vascular surgeon who has specialized training.
Carotid artery stenting is a procedure in which a physician with specialized training inserts a slender, metal-mesh tube, called a stent, which expands inside your carotid artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque. A balloon may also be used before stent insertion to help expand the artery.
Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm is a ballooning-out of the wall of an artery in the brain. Often this wall is weakened by disease, injury or an abnormality present at birth. Aneurysms are often caused or made worse by high blood pressure. They aren't always life-threatening, but serious consequences — such as a stroke — can result if one bursts in the brain. This is called a hemorrhagic (or bleeding) stroke.
Brain aneurysms can be treated either by a surgical or interventional procedure depending on the best courts of treatment as determined by your physician. In surgery, a metal clip is secured around the base of the aneurysm. Coiling involves 'packing' the aneurysm with microcoils (small, flexible wire coils). These are delivered and inserted into the aneurysm using a catheter.
Epilepsy
More than 3 million people in the U.S. have some form of epilepsy. About 200,000 new cases of seizure disorders and epilepsy are diagnosed each year.
Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy.
A seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. One in 10 adults will have a seizure sometime during their life.
Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They can have many symptoms, from convulsions and loss of consciousness to some that are not always recognized as seizures by the person experiencing them or by health care professionals: blank staring, lip smacking, or jerking movements of arms and legs.
There are many different types of seizures. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance that produces seizures.
Techniques used in the diagnosis of epilepsy can be schedule by your physician in the Neurodiagnostic Center at Winchester Medical Center. For more information, click here.
In-patient Neurology Unit
The in-patient neurology unit is an 18 bed acute care nursing unit for medical and surgical patients with various neurological or neurosurgical conditions. The unit operated on a 24-hour basis and is staffed by nurses who are highly skilled and educated in the care of patients with neurological disorders. The largest part of the patient population on the Neurology unit have the diagnosis of stroke, but patients with seizures, meningitis, acute head injury, back and neck surgery, brain tumors and brain surgery are also care for in this area. The Neurology Unit uses a multi-disciplinary holistic team approach to providing care. The healthcare team may include physicians, nursing staff, case managers, social workers, rehab therapists, and chaplain staff.
Neurosurgery
Valley Health’s Neurosurgery program provides superior patient-focused surgical care for spine, brain, and vascular diagnoses either as a result of trauma or degenerative processes. In addition to outpatient and elective services, we provide 24 hour emergency services at Winchester Medical Center. As a Level II Trauma Center, our neurosurgeons are on call to provide critical care and surgical services for traumatic brain and spine injuries.
Neurosurgical services offered include, but are not limited to:
- Spine: stenosis, disc herniations and replacements, stabilization, tumors, adult congenital disorders
- Brain Tumor: primary and metastatic tumors>
- Vascular: aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, carotid stenosis, and acute stroke
- Functional: epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Nerve: carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve releases, peroneal neuropathy, peripheral nerve tumors
- Pain: wide range of innovative surgical options for patients with intractable pain syndromes
Neurodiagnostics
The Neurodiagnostics Lab at Winchester Medical Center offers comprehensive EEG and diagnostic services. Our experienced technicians are well trained and strive to provide the highest level of customized comfort to our patients.
For more information on EEGs or other neurodiagnostic tests, call the Neurodiagnostics Lab at 540-536-8165.
To schedule a test, call centralized scheduling at 540-536-8988.
Test descriptions:
Neurodiagnostic Sleep Labs
Sleep apnea and movement disorders are two of the major sleep disorders that affect an estimated 20 percent of the American population. Untreated sleep disorders can be responsible for serious health and safety issues.
The Neurodiagnostic Sleep Lab performs sleep studies to diagnose common sleep disorders. Sleep studies are performed at night by technicians who monitor a person while they sleep. Before falling asleep, numerous leads and electrodes are attached to a patient’s head, arms, legs, torso, and face. Technologically advanced equipment records every breath, heartbeat, movement, and brain activity to determine just what is robbing the patient of restful sleep. The Sleep Lab offers state of the art testing and technology at sites at Winchester Medical Center, Warren Memorial Hospital, and Shenandoah Memorial Hospital.
Services offered include:
n our sleep lab, we can perform a variety of sleep studies designed to identify a specific sleep disorder. The tests include overnight studies called polysomnograms (PSGs). The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and the maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) are daytime studies that quantify sleepiness and diagnose disorders of excessive sleepiness. The MWT is used frequently with compliance tests for the Department of Transportation (DOT). Treatments for sleep and breathing disorders can sometimes be corrected during a sleep study. All of our technologists are board certified in the top of their field.
The technologist is in constant video and audio contact with the patient, providing a safe, supportive environment with minimal anxiety. Our diagnostic suites have been designed to promote a relaxing atmosphere and a pleasant patient experience. We offer queen-size beds with private bathrooms. Our technologists strive to provide every convenience to their patient’s needs.
You can schedule your appointment by calling our office at (540) 536-8165 or have your referring doctor contact us for you. You will need an order from your doctor to be scheduled.