The University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque became the state's first comprehensive stroke center after earning certification in January from The Joint Commission, the hospital said Feb. 10.
To earn the recognition, hospitals must meet rigorous patient care and research criteria.
Through a telemedicine program called Access to Critical Cerebral Emergency Services, UNM Hospital serves nearly two dozen rural and community hospitals across the state. It enables UNM specialists to connect with emergency room physicians at local hospitals and provide guidance on their patients' stroke systems and determine whether community hospitals should transfer stroke patients to UNM Hospital.
About 400 stroke cases and 50 ruptured aneurysms are treated at UNM annually.
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