Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis Joins Elite Group

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center, part of OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute, is now a member of the MidAmerica Regional Coordinating Center of the NIH StrokeNet.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) created the NIH StrokeNet to conduct clinical trials and research studies to advance acute stroke treatment, stroke prevention, and recovery and rehabilitation following a stroke.

“Only a distinguished group of 25 fine health care institutions have been awarded membership to the NIH StrokeNet. The designation is competitive and renewed every five years,” explained David Wang, D.O., FAHA, FAAN, Director, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Dr. Wang continued, “Being designated as a member of the NIH StrokeNet symbolizes that our stroke center is capable of conducting top notch clinical research in stroke. It is a very prestigious designation and is another reason the best in stroke care can be found right here in central Illinois.”

NIH StrokeNet is designed to serve as the infrastructure and pipeline for exciting new potential treatments for patients with stroke and those at risk for stroke. In addition, the network provides an educational platform for stroke physicians and clinical trial coordinators and allows its members to bring national trials to local patient population.

The MidAmerica Regional Coordinating Center of the NIH StrokeNet consists of 4 elite health care institutions in Central America: OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, Saint Louis Universtiy Hospital, Saint Joseph Hospital in Kansas and Barnes and Jewish Hospital of Washington University (which serves as the coordinating center).

The Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis has been conducting high-quality clinical research in stroke since 1997. It has conducted over 50 trials of all phases. Findings from some of these trials are now part of the Stroke Center’s daily care, including carotid artery stenting or surgery for stroke prevention, the benefits of closing patients’ foramen ovales for stroke prevention, and administering Pioglitazone to prevent stroke in patients with metabolic syndrome.

To learn more about NIH StrokeNet, click here.