Erlanger Hospital Services

Erlanger Regional Stroke Center

Southeast Tennessee's first and only Accredited Primary Stroke Center

Medical Professionals

Consumers

For treatment of stroke, what sets Erlanger apart from other local treatment centers?

If you have a heart attack or stroke, minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Understanding what sets Erlanger apart from other local stroke treatment centers is critical to receiving the best and most state-of-the-art care.

In April 2006, Erlanger announced that Dr. Thomas Devlin, a neurologist with Chattanooga Neurology Associates, PLLC, IPA, has been appointed to the newly-created position of director of the Erlanger Health Stroke Center. With this appointment, Erlanger reconfirms our commitment to excellence in stroke research, prevention and treatment.

Every month the hospital treats stroke patients who are brought directly to the Baroness Campus Emergency Heart & Stroke Center or are transferred from regional facilities or other hospitals in Chattanooga. Erlanger has become known for this region’s highest level of care for stroke patients and has acquired a national reputation for research and trials of cutting edge treatments and technologies.

If you or a loved one experiences the symptoms of a stroke, call 9-1-1. Request that you be taken to Erlanger. Click here to view risk factors and symptoms.

The Erlanger Regional Stroke Center

Established in 1998, the Erlanger Emergency Heart & Stroke Center is still the only program of its kind in the region. One section of the Erlanger Baroness Campus Emergency Department is set aside as an area where emergency heart and brain attack patients are seen, but the “center” concept is much more than a unit. It encompasses a set of treatment protocols that are aimed to bringing patients the most appropriate and timely treatment of stroke.

The Erlanger Stroke Protocol

Stroke is a major medical problem in our community and is the third leading cause of death nationally. Chattanooga is located deep in the heart of the “stroke belt” of the U.S. with one of the highest incidences of stroke anywhere in the country.

The stroke team at Erlanger has set up a regional stroke system, in which patients are brought to the Emergency Heart & Stroke Center by helicopter or ambulance to receive emergency evaluation by stroke specialists. Upon the patient’s arrival, the team responds immediately – assessing the patient, performing a CT scan of the brain to evaluate for any bleeding and a special X-ray of the brain called a CT angiogram is performed to look for clots in the large blood vessels.

Patients presenting with stroke within three hours of onset of their symptoms may be candidates to receive tPA (a clot-busting drug) intravenously. Those who arrive within six hours may be candidates for intra-arterial tPA, in which a catheter is placed directly into the brain and onto the clot in order to dissolve it directly.

Many revolutionary treatments are offered at Erlanger for the treatment of stroke, including innovative clinical trials that keep Erlanger Emergency Heart & Stroke Center in the forefront among treatment centers of this region and the country.

With a stroke team made up of neurologists, interventional radiologists, ER physicians and nurses, the Erlanger Emergency Heart & Stroke Center provides cutting edge technology for stroke patients and is counted as one of the leading stroke centers nationally.

Erlanger offers a full spectrum of unique services related to stroke prevention and treatment.

Ninety percent of all strokes are caused by uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure.) To address this huge and growing problem the Erlanger Hypertension Management Center offers services aimed at controlling blood pressure to less than 120/80. Most strokes are preventable if hypertension is detected and controlled to less than 120/80. The Center treats children, adolescents and adults. Call (423) 778-4408 for an appointment. Or, click here to download a copy of the Hypertension Management Center brochure.

HealthLink Plus, a free membership program offered through Erlanger Community Relations, regularly schedules classes, seminars and screenings dealing with stroke prevention. Call (423) 778-LINK or join online by clicking here.

Erlanger’s Chattanooga LifeStyle Center, located at 325 Market Street in downtown Chattanooga, offers preventive healthcare such as fitness classes, personalized weight management, cardiac, vascular and pulmonary rehabilitation and diabetes education. Call (423) 778-9400 for information or by clicking here.

In addition, the Erlanger Baroness Campus has several unique inpatient services related to stroke treatment, including the region’s only Neuro Intensive Care Unit and a unit dedicated to stroke patients and treatment.