Stroke Fellowship adds to Existing Prestige

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, affecting nearly 800,000 people and costing some $60 billion annually in the United States alone. Providing the best and latest in treatment of stroke is increasingly becoming a national focus, and one Peoria is at the forefront. Adding to the already vast expertise in the field of vascular neurology, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria has received formal accreditation for a fellowship program specializing in stroke. Approval by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, or ACGME, essentially gives the existing educational and clinical structure in Peoria the gold seal. Dr. Thomas Santoro, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, called the fellowship accreditation highly prestigious, adding this fellowship is the embodiment of on-going clinical efforts to grow medical subspecialties within our community. Currently, only 67 such stroke fellowships exist nationwide which are accredited by the ACGME. About a quarter of those were created only within the last couple years. Dr. David Wang, Founder and Director of the Illinois Neurological Institutes Stroke Network at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, says the one-year accredited fellowship will continue to draw the best physicians to Peoria for research, education and clinical work to add to the nations understanding of stroke. There is a desperate need for neurologists nationwide but particularly stroke neurologists, said Wang who sits on several national neurological association committees and is one of the co-authors of the soon-to-be published updated AHA/ASA Acute Ischemic Stroke Care Guidelines, the bible for stroke care. Having the ACGME accreditation will help attract the nations best and brightest neurologists to Peoria to train and provide additional care and research toward stroke, Wang said. Wang, who will oversee the fellowship, said each second is vital in the treatment of a stroke, or even determining if someone has had a stroke, adding that having guidelines in place can have a huge impact on a patients outcome. Both Wang and the Stroke Center, comprised of three stroke neurologists, are recognized nationally as a leader in treating stroke by providing some of the most innovative treatments, including clinical trials, and having the highest patient volume in the state of Illinois. The new fellowship will accept one physician who has just completed a residency program in neurology or child neurology. Training of the fellow will take place over one year. The clinical work will take place at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, one of two hospitals affiliated with the College of Medicine in Peoria. The fellows will take part in research and care of stroke patients, including imaging, surgery and managing stroke patients in outpatient and inpatient settings as well as critical care settings. Community education also is a component to the training. The stroke fellowship will be the sixth fellowship at UICOMP. The other fellowships are in the fields of neurosurgery (spine), womens health and three in radiology breast imaging, neuroradiology and vascular/interventional radiology. The College of Medicine in Peoria also sponsors 11 residency programs together with its educational affiliated hospitals, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois. Approval of the newly accredited stroke fellowship is just the start of continued expansion into specialization of other fields. UICOMP is in the process of adding fellowships in cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonary critical care. STROKE FACTS What is a stroke? A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die. Stroke can cause death or disability, including paralysis and speech difficulties. New treatments can reduce stroke damage if patients get medical care soon after symptoms begin. What are the common signs and symptoms of a stroke? Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause. What causes stroke? Heredity, age, gender, and ethnicity may lead to higher incidences. Some medical conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity and having had a previous stroke can raise the risk. By the Numbers: A stroke occurs about every 40 seconds in the United States. Every four minutes someone dies of stroke. Every year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. About 185,000 people who survive a stroke eventually have another. Stroke is an important cause of disability. In 2005, nearly 1.1 million stroke survivors reported difficulty performing basic activities of daily life. In 2010, the estimated cost of stroke in the United States was $53.9 billion. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society

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Stroke Fellowship adds to Existing Prestige