Carle Hospital Facility Attains New Status

Carle Foundation Hospital has been recognized for its ability to treat stroke victims - and achieving the best possible outcomes for those patients.

Physicians at the Urbana hospital say Advanced Certification from the Joint Commission shows that Carle has expanded its stroke program through personnel and the proper equipment. Neurosurgeon Dr. John Wang says a large part of the certification is the 24/7 coverage Carle provides in its emergency room, as well as specialized care the hospital offers from himself and Dr. Thomas Kim in the stroke center. "I have different things to bring on the table than a neuroradiologist, and likewise," said Wang. "So that combination you don't often find anywhere else actually - that I speak with all sincerity. Because of a lot of the stroke intervention team is composed of purely neuroradiologists, or purely neurosurgeons, or purely neurologists... this collaboration among two important subspecialities relevant to stroke care is very rare."

Wang says the certification itself serves as a validation of Carle's efforts, but the hospital does much more. The newer bi-planer x-ray equipment is capable of taking a 3-D image of a patient's head... resulting in a quicker diagnosis and treatment. Wang says the safety and the success of the procedure are both enhanced as a result. Carle Foundation Hospital partners with 16 other hospitals in the region to begin stroke patient care at those facilities before transferring them to Urbana.