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WINGARD

STROKE INSTITUTE

COMMITTED TO BETTER STROKE CARE

If you or a loved one are at increased risk for stroke, make sure you know the warning signs as fast and effective treatment is essential. And, if possible, choose a hospital for stroke care. NCH is proud to offer cutting-edge techniques along with advanced technology, our highly skilled and experienced stroke team can deliver FAST stroke care when you need it.

If you or a loved one is having a stroke, call 911 immediately!

For more information on stroke awareness, click here.

MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY – ONLY JOINT COMMISSION CERTIFIED COMPREHENSIVE FACILITY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Until recently, there has been only one proven therapy for ischemic stroke: clot-busting drugs called tPA. Thanks to groundbreaking research, another treatment is now available: mechanical thrombectomy.
The procedure itself, performed at NCH as the only Joint Commission certified comprehensive facility in Southwest Florida, is minimally invasive and studies have shown that patients who have a mechanical thrombectomy recover faster and have an improved quality of life compared to those patients using clot-busting tPAs alone.
At NCH, our neurointerventional surgeons are specially trained to perform many different stroke therapies, including mechanical thrombectomies.

Award-Winning Service

NCH Wingard Stroke Center has received certification as a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) from the Joint Commission. For more than 70 years, The Joint Commission has been a global driver of quality improvement and patient safety in health care and there are only 4 designated Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Florida, making NCH Wingard Stroke Center the 5th center through the Joint Commission.  This designation also makes NCH the one and only certified Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center in Southwest Florida.

Achieving certification means that our staff has made an extra effort to review and improve the key areas that can affect the quality and safety of the patient’s stroke care. As a Joint Commission Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC), NCH has been recognized for providing a standardized and evidence-based approach to treating stroke patients and offers our community a dedicated stroke unit. But perhaps most importantly, NCH has been recognized as having the tools and expertise to perform mechanical thrombectomy – a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove a blood clot from an artery. Additionally, NCH also has neuro-intensive care and 24/7 on-site critical care coverage.

Award and Designations

  • NCH is a Joint Commission designated Comprehensive Stroke Center
  • NCH received AHA “Get with The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus.”
  • NCH awarded One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care by Healthgrades six years in a row (2019-2024)

Our Experts

Laura Cowperthwait, BSN, RN, SCRN, GRN, CDP
Stroke Program Director
Lisa Britten, BSN, RN, SCRN
Stroke Resource Nurse
Jennifer Russette, BSN RN, SCRN, CNRN, ASC-BC
Stroke Resource Nurse
John D'Agostino, MSN, RN, CIC, SCRN
Stroke Coordinator
Erin DeTar, BSN, RN
Stroke Resource Nurse
Victoria Miles, BS, RN
Stroke Resource Nurse

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