Bridgeport Hospital brings advanced stroke care closer to home

Bridgeport, CT (September 23, 2020) – Bridgeport Hospital has launched an enhanced Stroke Center, expanding services for Fairfield County residents who can receive immediate on-site stroke care, and bringing cutting-edge neurosurgical procedures to Bridgeport. The Center will include world-class neurosurgeons from across Yale New Haven Health, a telestroke program and advanced procedures that can reverse stroke symptoms and save lives.

“This collaboration with Yale Medicine physicians ensures our community can receive exceptional stroke care,” said Anne Diamond, president of Bridgeport Hospital. “As a member of Yale New Haven Health, we are excited to enhance our strong neuroscience infrastructure with expertise from across the system and bring new clinical services to Bridgeport.”

With neurosurgeons available 24/7, and robust rehab and after-care supportive services, Bridgeport Hospital has dedicated necessary resources so that everyone who arrives with a stroke will be treated by a collaborative team equipped to handle the most complex cases. Bridgeport Hospital is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

“Stroke care involves the timeliest procedures in medicine,” said cerebrovascular neurosurgeon Charles Matouk, MD, chief of neurovascular and endovascular program, Yale New Haven Hospital and vice chair, Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine. “When 2 million brain cells die for every minute without blood flow, time is brain. Having a multidisciplinary team from Yale New Haven Hospital, one of the highest-volume stroke centers in the country, at Bridgeport Hospital, will allow us to minimize and in some cases prevent brain damage.”

People who arrive at the emergency room within three hours of their first symptoms often have less disability three months after a stroke than those who received delayed care. If someone has facial drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulty – it is time to call 911.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org