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Healthcare
Services

Wingard
Stroke Institute

Before you or a loved one experience a stroke it’s important to know that the NCH Wingard Stroke Institute is committed to better stroke care for you. Cutting-edge techniques along with advanced technology and our highly skilled and experienced stroke team means we can deliver FAST stroke care when you need it.

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 certified facility in Southwest Florida, is minimally invasive and involves threading a catheter (thin plastic tube) through a blood vessel, usually in the groin, and up to the blood clot to clear it out and allow blood to flow freely again. 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. Since blood clots are a serious medical condition, fast and effective treatment is essential.

At NCH, we have interventional neuroradiologists specially trained to perform mechanical thrombectomies. If you or a loved one are at increased risk for stroke, make sure you know the warning signs. And, if possible, choose a hospital for stroke care, like NCH, where many different stroke therapies, including mechanical thrombectomies, are available.

Award-Winning Service

NCH has received certification as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center from the Joint Commission in coordination with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. This designation makes NCH the one and only Thrombectomy-Capable 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 Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, 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 neurointensive care and 24/7 on-site critical care coverage.

Awards and Designations

  • NCH is a Joint Commission designated Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center
  • NCH is a Joint Commission designated Primary Stroke Center
  • NCH is an AHCA designated Comprehensive Stroke Center
  • NCH received AHA “Get with The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus”

Patient Testimonials​

Susan Solomon - "I don't know if I would be here today."
Ed Zore - "I couldn't have had a better experience"