Across our eight stroke centers at New York-Presbyterian (NYP), we are dedicated to achieving the highest outcomes and continuously work to improve the care and treatment of our stroke patients. We participate in Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke (GWTG), an in-hospital program designed to improve the treatment given to people who have had a stroke. We measure our stroke care against the standards established within the program in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
Our hospitals are designated as Stroke Centers by the New York State Department of Health and certified by The Joint Commission and have continuously received the highest levels of recognition from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for outstanding stroke care.
NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center's stroke program has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award as well as a spot on the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus.
NYP/Columbia University Irving Medical Center's stroke program has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award as well as a spot on the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite.
Our network of Stroke Centers provide the most appropriate level of care to the communities they serve:
- 1Comprehensive Stroke Centers provide a full range of services including care for the most complex stroke patients and a full range of neurosurgical interventions.
- 2Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Centers offer advanced treatment options for Ischemic Stroke and care for the majority of complex stroke patients.
- 3Primary Stroke Centers provide triage and treatment for the majority of stroke patients and we offer rapid transfer to Comprehensive Stroke Centers for those requiring a higher level of care.
1NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (NYP-CU) and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (NYP-WC)
2NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist (NYP-BMH) and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens (NYP-Q)
3 NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital (NYP-AH), NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley (NYP-HV), NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital (NYP-LMH), NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester (NYP-W)
Below are examples of the performance measures that we monitor and report in order to improve the care and outcomes of our stroke patients.
Safe diagnosis
Diagnostic cerebral angiography is a minimally invasive procedure to evaluate the blood vessels in the head or neck in order to assess for blockages or abnormalities of such blood vessels. This procedure is used to help diagnose and determine the best treatment for certain patients with stroke and other cerebrovascular disease and is conducted by highly trained specialists.
The Joint Commission (TJC) standard for 24-hour peri-procedure stroke and death rate after diagnostic cerebral angiography is <1%. In 2022 and 2023, the 24-hour stroke and death rate following diagnostic cerebral angiography at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was well below this threshold.
| TJC Standard | NYP-CU | NYP-WC | NYP-Q | NYP-BMH | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
| 24-hour stroke rate | ≤ 1% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0% | 0.5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 24-hour death rate | ≤ 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Procedures to reduce stroke risk
Patients may show blockages or narrowing of carotid arteries, which are the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Carotid endarterectomies (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS, TCARs) are procedures that are performed to remove the blockages in the carotid arteries in order to reduce the risk of first stroke or to prevent a recurrent stroke. In 2022 and 2023, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital the complication rates for CEA were well below The Joint Commission standard.
| Measure | TJC Standard | NYP-CU 2022 | NYP-CU 2023 | NYP-WC 2022 | NYP-WC 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carotid Endarterectomies (CEA) | 30 Day Asymptomatic Complication Rate | ≤ 3% | 0% | 3.4% | 0% | 0% |
| Carotid Endarterectomies (CEA) | 30 Day Symptomatic Complication Rate | ≤ 6% | 5.7% | 2.7% | 0% | 0% |
| Carotid Artery Stenting (CAS) | 30 Day Asymptomatic Complication Rate | ≤ 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Carotid Artery Stenting (CAS) | 30 Day Symptomatic Complication Rate | ≤ 6% | 0% | 0% | 4.5% | 3.3% |
Endovascular Therapy
Endovascular therapy (EVT), which involves using tools like stent retrievers to remove the blockage, is now the standard of care for treatment of acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion (LVO). In the past two years, our centers specializing in endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke have consistently restored optimal blood flow for many eligible patients.
Rapid stroke treatment
Treating patients with ischemic stroke as quickly as possible is critical to achieving good neurologic outcomes. The clot-busting drugs used to treat ischemic stroke are only effective if administered within 4.5 hours of stroke symptoms onset, and the sooner it is administered, the better. For many years the focus was on achieving treatment times within 60 minutes of patient arrival, however in recent years the focus has shifted to drive treatment times to be faster. Over the past two years our centers have performed well against this measure and we are always striving to improve our treatment times for all patients.
Related Links
Columbia Neurosurgeons - Department of Neurosurgery
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia - Department of Neurology
Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center - Department of Neurosurgery
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell - Department of Neurology
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens - Stroke Center
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital - Stroke Center