If you or someone you know is displaying symptoms of a stroke, call 911 immediately.
A Stroke is an Emergency
Stroke care is available at each of our hospitals, with emergency room connections to ensure that patients get the right care in the right place. The severity of strokes can range from mild to life-threatening, but a stroke is always an emergency requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment. We offer the region's most advanced stroke care by connecting our hospitals to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate care in the right place. Our stroke team is ready 24/7 to provide patients with leading-edge treatments to improve their chances of a successful recovery.
- Getting immediate care is key to surviving a stroke and surviving without disability.
- Call 911 or get to the nearest emergency care center as quickly as possible.
Care Throughout the Capital Region
Albany Medical Center is a New York State-designated Comprehensive Stroke Center, and has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers.
Read more about our Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, and Saratoga Hospital have each earned the New York State designation of Primary Stroke Center.
Read more about our Primary Stroke Centers.
Artificial Intelligence Benefits Stroke Patients
The Albany Med Health System was the first in northeastern New York to apply the Viz.ai computer-aided triage system to help facilitate early access to the most advanced stroke care for patients at each of its four hospitals, including Albany Medical Center, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital.
When a patient who is suspected of having a stroke arrives at the hospital, a CT angiogram is performed to assess blood flow to the brain. When the software detects a large vessel occlusion (LVO)—a type of stroke caused by blockage to one of the major arteries and having a greater risk of death or long-term disability—stroke specialists across the System are alerted immediately on their phones, allowing them to chat through the cloud-based platform in real time to plan for appropriate treatment or transfer of care to Albany Medical Center.
