Dignity Health | hello Healthy| Summer 2018

HelloHealthy | Summer 2018 5 is director of Memorial’s stroke program. He says acting with urgency can mean the difference between life and death. “The quicker you can deliver treatment, that could be the difference between whether the patient returns to meaningful, productive life or not,” he says. Doctors at Memorial Hospital are able to administer lifesaving medication for stroke patients, on average, within 48 minutes of arrival. That’s under the goal of 60 minutes, placing Memorial among the national benchmarks for its performance. Memorial also uses cutting-edge technology to ensure that patients with neurological disorders receive the best care possible. One such device is in the biplane interventional suite. This state-of-the-art device employs two rotating cameras to create 3-D views of blood vessels leading to patients’ brains, helping doctors provide better treatment of clots that lead to stroke, as well as treat brain aneurysms. Currently, Memorial Hospital is the only hospital with this technology between Fresno and Los Angeles. Specialists in neuro critical care Patients in the Neurological Critical Care Unit (CCU) at Dignity Health – Memorial Hospital are cared for by a uniquely qualified doctor called a neurointensivist. This type of hybrid physician is a neurologist with special training in treating critical care patients. These doctors, alongside a team of specially trained nurses, use standard intensive care unit (ICU) protocols and specialized neurological monitoring to manage critically ill patients and identify problems before permanent neurological injuries occur. Memorial’s Neuro CCU is led by Venkata Dandamudi, MD, a neurointensivist and interventional neurology specialist. According to Dr. Dandamudi, his department spent months studying the best-run ICUs across the country and now emulates those programs here at home. “Neurocritical care is a game-changer, no question about that,” Dr. Dandamudi says. “More than ever, we are in a better position to help our patients. This is great for the community, and we ought to be proud. What we have started here is something completely different. Dignity Health and Memorial Hospital have done a terrific job putting this together in the right format, where it in fact makes a difference in the outcomes of our patients’ lives.” Kiron Thomas, MD, in the biplane interventional suite at Memorial’s Sarvanand Heart and Brain Center. “All these advancements have made a big difference, giving patients a lot more hope.” —Kiron Thomas, MD Venkata Dandamudi, MD, and Kiron Thomas, MD, neurology specialists at Memorial Hospital.