![\"Ryna](\"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/files\/2018\/08\/Then_Ryna.jpg\")
Ryna K. Then, MD Medical Director Cooper Stroke Program<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cAs a Comprehensive Stroke Center,\u00a0we have personnel available 24\/7 with\u00a0the specialized expertise to care for any\u00a0type of stroke, even the most complex,\u201d\u00a0explains Ryna K. Then, MD<\/a>, a board-certified\u00a0vascular neurologist who is\u00a0the medical director of Cooper\u2019s stroke\u00a0program. This includes large ischemic\u00a0strokes, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage.<\/p>\n \u201cThis means we have board-certified\u00a0neurologists with stroke expertise and\u00a0nurses with stroke training in the hospital\u00a0around the clock,\u201d she continues. \u201cWe\u00a0have neurosurgeons who are here within\u00a030 minutes in case invasive surgery is\u00a0required, and we have stroke-certified\u00a0interventionists who can perform\u00a0endovascular techniques\u2014such as\u00a0clipping or coiling aneurysms or\u00a0retrieving blood clots from the brain\u2014\u00a0available 24\/7.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition, we have the capability\u00a0for neuro-imaging at all times, and we have\u00a0an ICU with capabilities for neuro cases and\u00a0intensivists certified in neuro-intensive\u00a0care,\u201d she adds. The advanced imaging\u00a0techniques Cooper offers include MRI and\u00a0MR angiography, CT angiography, digital\u00a0subtraction angiography, and transcranial Doppler ultrasound.<\/p>\n Each state has its own certifications\u00a0or designations for stroke care, Dr. Then\u00a0notes. And there are currently more than\u00a0900 Joint Commission-certified Primary\u00a0Stroke Centers in the nation that have an\u00a0established formal program to treat stroke\u00a0patients effectively and consistently, with the goal of improving care and outcomes.<\/p>\n \u201cBut to be certified as a Comprehensive\u00a0Stroke Center is the most prestigious\u2014and\u00a0reassuring\u2014designation because it\u2019s based\u00a0on stringent AHA\/ASA standards of care,\u201d\u00a0she says, \u201cand it recognizes the significant\u00a0differences in resources, staff, and training\u00a0that are necessary for treating complex\u00a0stroke cases.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the first couple of hours of onset,\u00a0a stroke may look self-limiting,\u201d she points\u00a0out. \u201cBut it may continue to progress\u00a0to where a patient needs\u00a0a hemicraniectomy\u2014and\u00a0this can\u2019t be known until the\u00a0patient is admitted, and the\u00a0situation unfolds. That\u2019s why\u00a0it\u2019s vital to have qualified,\u00a0certified, and advanced stroke\u00a0care available at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n To earn certification as a\u00a0Comprehensive Stroke Center,\u00a0hospitals must first demonstrate\u00a0compliance with stroke-related\u00a0standards as a Primary Stroke\u00a0Center, then meet additional\u00a0requirements, including those related\u00a0to advanced imaging capabilities, the\u00a0availability of specialized treatments,\u00a0and providing staff with the unique\u00a0education and competencies to care for\u00a0complex stroke patients. To document\u00a0its compliance with these additional\u00a0requirements, Cooper underwent a\u00a0rigorous two-day onsite evaluation by The\u00a0Joint Commission this past April.<\/p>\n \u201cThey visited our floors, ICU,\u00a0Emergency Department\u2026they talked to doctors, nurses, even housekeeping, to make\u00a0sure we comply with guidelines\u00a0if there\u2019s someone who may be\u00a0having a stroke and follow the\u00a0protocol to activate the stroke\u00a0alert in the hospital,\u201d Dr. Then relates.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been providing\u00a0this level of advanced stroke\u00a0care here at Cooper for years,\u201d\u00a0she adds. \u201cNow, with this certification, it\u2019s \u2018official.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Then also points out\u00a0that in addition to the\u00a0extensive resources available\u00a0to diagnose and treat acute stroke, Cooper\u00a0has a team of physiatrists and physical,\u00a0occupational, and speech-language\u00a0therapists with specialized neurological rehabilitation expertise.<\/p>\n \u201cTo our way of thinking, this is part\u00a0of being a Comprehensive Stroke Center,\u00a0too, because it helps contribute to the best\u00a0possible outcomes,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n When Cooper\u2019s certification was\u00a0announced, Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP,\u00a0MPP, MPH, President and Chief Executive\u00a0Officer of The Joint Commission,\u00a0commented, \u201cBy achieving this advanced\u00a0certification, Cooper has thoroughly\u00a0demonstrated the greatest level of\u00a0commitment to the care of its patients with\u00a0a complex stroke condition. Certification\u00a0is a voluntary process, and The Joint\u00a0Commission commends Cooper University\u00a0Health Care for successfully undertaking\u00a0this challenge to elevate the standard of its care for the community it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer\u00a0of the American Heart Association\/American Stroke Association, also\u00a0commended Cooper\u2019s achievement: \u201cThe\u00a0American Heart Association\/American\u00a0Stroke Association congratulates Cooper\u00a0on achieving Comprehensive Stroke\u00a0Center certification,\u201d she said. \u201cMeeting\u00a0the standards for Comprehensive Stroke\u00a0Center certification represents a\u00a0commitment to deliver high-quality care to all patients affected by stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n Established in 2012, Advanced\u00a0Certification for Comprehensive Stroke\u00a0Centers is awarded for a two-year period\u00a0to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.<\/p>\n For questions about the Cooper Neurological Institute,\u00a0or to refer a patient, email stroke@cooperhealth.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On June 1, 2017, Cooper University\u00a0Health Care joined the elite ranks of U.S.\u00a0hospitals to earn The Joint Commission\u2019s\u00a0Gold Seal of Approval and the American\u00a0Heart Association\/American Stroke\u00a0Association\u2019s Heart-Check mark for\u00a0Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. Cooper is one of only 124 hospitals\u00a0in the nation, and the only hospital in\u00a0South Jersey to achieve this voluntary\u00a0certification to date, … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-rmineo","4":"post-1730","6":"format-standard","7":"category-featured","8":"category-news-updates"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1730"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1734,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions\/1734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/sjmedicalreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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