ROME, GA, Jan. 19, 2023 – Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center is now using patient-centered technology to better diagnose and monitor those who have suffered a stroke.

RapidAI can help reduce the time it takes to receive treatment and improve outcomes for stroke patients. CT perfusion is an additional imaging tool that can determine if the patient has a blockage and can help determine how much brain tissue in the area is salvageable.

The same technology is available at Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center and Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center and will soon be included at the stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County.

“Time is vital when it comes to stroke treatment,” said Bre Merrell, stroke coordinator of the hospital’s Stroke Center of Excellence. “The quicker strokes can be diagnosed and treated, the better it is for the patient.”

With these Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared tools, Floyd’s stroke team now can detect suspected brain bleeds and blood vessel blockages more quickly and effectively. 

“RapidAI and CT Perfusion are a game changer,” said Ches Ely, director of Imaging Services for Atrium Health Floyd. “We can get accurate results communicated to the Stroke Care Team faster and even with other facilities, improving patient outcomes.”

Imaging results can be shared through a mobile app, allowing Floyd’s stroke team to quickly collaborate on the next steps for patient treatment.

Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center is a Certified Primary Stroke Center and can begin treating people experiencing a stroke within an hour of their arrival, preserving brain cells and increasing the opportunity for recovery and survival.

The hospital has an acute stroke team available 24/7 that can be at the bedside within 15 minutes and can administer clot busting medication.

About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd employs more than 3,500 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 304-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; as well as Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health – a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility in Rome – and also primary care and urgent care network locations throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.

About Advocate Health 
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs nearly 155,000 team members across 68 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.