Learn more about the comprehensive stroke services at UPMC Hamot.

Every second matters when you experience a stroke; the care you receive matters even more. UPMC Hamot is the first and only hospital in Erie certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV GL Healthcare* — which means our health care team can treat any kind of stroke, even the most serious.

UPMC Hamot is among only 5 percent of hospitals nationally to receive comprehensive stroke certification. The certification recognizes that a hospital has significant resources in training, infrastructure, and staff to provide state-of-the-art complex stroke care.

Comprehensive Stroke Center Designation Requirements

To receive this certification, hospitals must:

  • Have advanced imaging capabilities
  • Provide neurocritical care 24 hours a day/seven days a week
  • Conduct clinical research
  • Care for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Perform minimally invasive or traditional surgical procedures to treat aneurysms

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Time Is Brain: Stroke Statistics

Time matters. Consider these facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a stroke.
  • Every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke.
  • For each minute a stroke is untreated, a typical patient can lose nearly 2 million brain cells.
  • The sooner a stroke patient is diagnosed and receives treatment, the more brain cells can be saved.

Because UPMC Hamot is a designated comprehensive stroke center, patients treated there can  be assured that care will be delivered quickly — and without the need to be transferred, which can lead to delays in treatment and worse outcomes.

“It’s important to have a specialist on site, immediately available, and a standard plan of care so everybody knows what they’re doing and when they’re doing it before that patient even arrives,” says Charles Romero, MD, interventional neuroradiologist and director of Stroke Services at UPMC Hamot.

At UPMC Hamot, a dedicated team of neurologists, neurointerventionalists, and neurosurgeons provide the highest level of expertise for stroke patients.

“For a stroke, the national benchmark from door to treatment time is 60 minutes,” says Ann Sokoloff, director of Orthopaedics/Neurological Services at UPMC Hamot. “At UPMC Hamot, we are treating most of our stroke patients within 45 minutes of arrival. That doesn’t happen without the right team in place, committed to improving efficiency and patient safety.”

24/7 In-House Coverage at UPMC Hamot

Having both neurohospitalists and neurointerventionalists in the hospital 24/7 means the stroke team at UPMC Hamot is always available when a stroke patient arrives.

“Neurologic events can happen at any time of the day or night,” says Trevor Phinney, DO, a neurohospitalist at UPMC Hamot. “But no matter when you come to UPMC Hamot, we are ready to provide the care you need.”

“The comprehensive stroke center designation demonstrates our commitment to the community and region,” adds J. Brad Bellotte, MD, a neurosurgeon at UPMC Hamot. “Our neurohospitalists and neurosurgical team are able to handle even the most complex cases right here.”

At the first sign of stroke, call 9-1-1. To learn more, visit UPMCHamot.org.

* DNV GL Healthcare is a world-leading certification body that helps businesses assure the performance of their organizations, products, people, facilities and supply chains through certification, verification, assessment, and training services. The DNV GL Healthcare Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association and affirms that the medical center addresses the full spectrum of stroke care — diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education — and establishes clear metrics to evaluate outcomes.Every second matters when you experience a stroke; the care you receive matters even more. UPMC Hamot is the first and only hospital in Erie certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV GL Healthcare* — which means our health care team can treat any kind of stroke, even the most serious.

UPMC Hamot is among only 5 percent of hospitals nationally to receive comprehensive stroke certification. The certification recognizes that a hospital has significant resources in training, infrastructure, and staff to provide state-of-the-art complex stroke care.

Comprehensive Stroke Center Designation Requirements

To receive this certification, hospitals must:

  • Have advanced imaging capabilities
  • Provide neurocritical care 24 hours a day/seven days a week
  • Conduct clinical research
  • Care for patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Perform minimally invasive or traditional surgical procedures to treat aneurysms

Time Is Brain: Stroke Statistics

Time matters. Consider these facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a stroke.
  • Every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke.
  • For each minute a stroke is untreated, a typical patient can lose nearly 2 million brain cells.
  • The sooner a stroke patient is diagnosed and receives treatment, the more brain cells can be saved.

Because UPMC Hamot is a designated comprehensive stroke center, patients treated there can  be assured that care will be delivered quickly — and without the need to be transferred, which can lead to delays in treatment and worse outcomes.

“It’s important to have a specialist on site, immediately available, and a standard plan of care so everybody knows what they’re doing and when they’re doing it before that patient even arrives,” says Charles Romero, MD, interventional neuroradiologist and director of Stroke Services at UPMC Hamot.

At UPMC Hamot, a dedicated team of neurologists, neurointerventionalists, and neurosurgeons provide the highest level of expertise for stroke patients.

“For a stroke, the national benchmark from door to treatment time is 60 minutes,” says Ann Sokoloff, director of Orthopaedics/Neurological Services at UPMC Hamot. “At UPMC Hamot, we are treating most of our stroke patients within 45 minutes of arrival. That doesn’t happen without the right team in place, committed to improving efficiency and patient safety.”

24/7 In-House Coverage at UPMC Hamot

Having both neurohospitalists and neurointerventionalists in the hospital 24/7 means the stroke team at UPMC Hamot is always available when a stroke patient arrives.

“Neurologic events can happen at any time of the day or night,” says Trevor Phinney, DO, a neurohospitalist at UPMC Hamot. “But no matter when you come to UPMC Hamot, we are ready to provide the care you need.”

“The comprehensive stroke center designation demonstrates our commitment to the community and region,” adds J. Brad Bellotte, MD, a neurosurgeon at UPMC Hamot. “Our neurohospitalists and neurosurgical team are able to handle even the most complex cases right here.”

At the first sign of stroke, call 9-1-1. To learn more, visit UPMCHamot.org/Stroke.

* DNV GL Healthcare is a world-leading certification body that helps businesses assure the performance of their organizations, products, people, facilities and supply chains through certification, verification, assessment, and training services. The DNV GL Healthcare Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association and affirms that the medical center addresses the full spectrum of stroke care — diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education — and establishes clear metrics to evaluate outcomes.

About Neurosurgery

The UPMC Department of Neurosurgery is the largest academic neurosurgical provider in the United States. We treat conditions of the brain, skull base, spine, and nerves, including the most complex disorders. We perform more than 11,000 procedures each year, making our team one of the most experienced in the world. Whether your condition requires surgery or not, we strive to provide the most advanced, complete care possible. Our surgeons are developing new techniques and tools, including minimally invasive treatments. Find an expert near you.