Stroke Care
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It’s the main cause of adult disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
It’s extremely important to identify and treat a stroke as quickly as possible, which is why UNC Medical Center has a dedicated stroke care team that is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This team of physicians, clinicians and support staff are trained to care for stroke patients quickly, effectively and compassionately.
Nationally Recognized Stroke Care
UNC Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Care Center is widely recognized as a national leader in stroke care. In 2013, the Center was the first in the Southeast to receive advanced certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The quality of our care has been recognized with the Gold Plus Achievement Award and Target: Stroke Honor Roll status by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Our Services
We provide comprehensive acute stroke care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our team of highly-trained physicians and staff evaluates patients for acute procedures such as intravenous thrombolysis, catheter-based interventional procedures, and surgical treatments.
Other services include:
- Inpatient care for acute and subacute strokes and transient ischemic attacks
- Stroke risk evaluations for a customized secondary stroke prevention plan
- Outpatient care at the Stroke Clinic
- Clinical trials of new stroke therapies and new prevention treatments
- Multidisciplinary Aneurysm Clinic including medical and surgical management
- Carotid clinics - endarterectomy, angioplasty, and stenting
- Stroke risk screening
- Stroke education and outreach
- Referrals for stroke rehabilitation therapies
Stroke Rehabilitation
If you require rehabilitation services, you will receive care by physical,occupational and speech therapy with the goal of helping you get back to living a normal life after experiencing a stroke. Additionally, the UNC Medical Center offers an on-site acute inpatient rehabilitation facility that is CARF-Stroke Certified. Outpatient and home health services are also available to patients as they return to home. During your hospital stay your rehabilitation team will communicate regularly with you and your medical team the results of their evaluations and help to determine a plan of care for discharge.
Physical Therapy
Our physical therapists will evaluate your ability to move and walk. They will also test balance, coordination and vision to determine an individualized treatment program with daily exercises that can aid in your recovery.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists will evaluate your ability to do many of the same things, such as moving in bed and walking around, but in the context of your activities of daily living (ADLs). Your ADL's are activities necessary to go about your day, such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, and bathing, among many others. Your therapist may ask you to perform these tasks as a way to test your abilities and help the medical team determine when you are ready to return home.
