Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, provides comprehensive medical treatment for stroke and related conditions, from immediate treatment for people experiencing a stroke to specialized follow-up care for those coping with the aftermath of a stroke or stroke-related condition.

Earning the “Gold Seal of Approval,” the Rush Stroke Program has been certified by the Joint Commission as a primary stroke center. This certification recognizes hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Rush specialists in stroke, other cerebrovascular conditions and neurological critical care provide care for people with cerebrovascular disorders in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

In additon, the Stroke Program at Rush was recently awarded the Bronze Performance Achievement Award by the American Stroke Association. The award recognizes Rush’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations. Rush has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

Approximately 600 inpatients with stroke and other cerebrovascular disorders are treated each year at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago by a multi-disciplinary team that includes stroke neurologists, cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, neuro-radiologists, stroke-trained nurses, rehabilitation services and physical therapists. 

The inpatient neurology stroke team is available 24/7 to respond immediately to acute stroke patients. Rush also has a 17-bed neuroscience intensive care unit (ICU) with a dedicated CT scanner in the unit. Patients with cerebrovascular diseases can also be seen in the outpatient cerebrovascular clinic during weekdays. 

Why is stroke care important?

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and is the third largest cause of death, ranking just behind heart disease and cancer. In the United States, the annual occurrence of stroke is conservatively estimated at more than 700,000 annually.  The anticipated direct and indirect costs of ischemic stroke in the United States have risen from $29 billion in 1990 to $58 billion in 2006.

After a stroke, there is a short window of opportunity for potential treatment with “clot-busting” medicine that reduces disability. Therefore, it is critical that stroke victims are evaluated and treated quickly and that everyone recognizes the typical stroke warning signs and symptoms.

Services Provided
Specialists at Rush provide advanced medical treatment, using drugs that quickly dissolve blood clots and other therapies that preserve brain cells when blood flow to the brain is blocked. This treatment can reduce the brain damage and disability that result from a stroke.

Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), also known as a “mini stroke” or a “warning stroke,” have the same symptoms as stroke, but these symptoms resolve, typically within 24 hours. TIAs are caused by a temporary blockage of an artery to the brain, and people who have a TIA are at increased risk of suffering a full blown stroke.  A recent study published in journal of Lancet found that early initiation of treatments after TIA or minor stroke was associated with an 80% reduction in the risk of early recurrent stroke.

The Rush Stroke Program treats TIAs as medical emergencies, and offers an expedited TIA service. Patients with suspected TIAs are admitted to the stroke neurology team for a full work-up and initiation of treatment. The evaluation can typically be completed within 24 hours in the hospital. 

We also work closely with physical and occupational therapists and other specialists to develop comprehensive treatment plans that help patients recover from the disabling effects of strokes and lower the risks of future strokes. An important focus of the program is education, helping people recognize the symptoms of stroke and reduce stroke risks, such as high blood pressure, and recognize symptoms of stroke.

The Rush Stroke Center offers a comprehensive cerebrovascular clinic. Patient in this clinic are able to see specialists in neurology and neurosurgery, and receive expert evaluation in cerebrovascular disease from multiple disciplines in the same visit.

Some of the conditions treated by our specialists include:

• Amyloid angiopathy of the brain
• Aneurysm in the brain
• Arteriovenous malformation of brain
• Carotid artery stenosis or occlusion (extracranial or intracranial)
• Cavernous malformation of brain or spinal cord
• Cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke), any cause
• Dissection of arteries in the neck or brain (carotid or vertebral)
• Dural arteriovenous malformation (fistula) of brain or spinal cord
• Genetic disorders of stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases (CADASIL)
• Intracerebral hemorrhage of any cause
• Spinal cord vascular disorders
• Stroke prevention: primary, or secondary
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Subdural hemorrhage
• Transient ischemic attack (any cause)
• Vasculitis of central nervous system
• Venous sinus thrombosis
• Vertebral or basilar artery stenosis or occlusion

More Information

• Warning Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

• Stroke Risk Assessment

• Community Education and Support

• Other Resources

Clinical Team
Our world-class program is staffed by neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses and other professionals who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, study and prevention of strokes and related neurological problems.

• Shyam Prabhakaran, MD, MS (Section Head for Cerebrovascular Section, stroke neurologist)
• Vivien H. Lee, MD (stroke neurologist)
• Michael Chen, MD (endovascular neurologist)
• Richard E. Temes, MD, MS (Director of Neurological Intensive Care)
• Steven L. Lewis, MD (vascular neurology-certified)
• Megan Shanks, MD (vascular neurology-certified)
• Demetrius Lopes, MD (endovascular neurosurgeon)
• Candace Acevez, RN (co-ordinator, Stroke Program )
• Gail Valadez (administrative assistant, Stroke Program)

The Cerebrovascular Section offices are located in Suite 1121 of the Professional Building (see full address below).