At the Duke Stroke Center, our specialized staff coordinates the comprehensive care of every stroke patient who comes to Duke -- from the initial contact in the Emergency Department through hospital care and the transition home or, if necessary, to a rehabilitation facility.

Take a photo tour of the Duke Stroke Center.

Our Acute Stroke Response Team is available for immediate patient evaluation and management, and we integrate the care of stroke patients from before they arrive in the Emergency Department through any necessary inpatient care and rehabilitation.

A multidisciplinary supervisory team continuously monitors the quality of all stroke-related care at Duke. We typically admit patients suffering from acute stroke to the Duke University Hospital Neurosciences Step-Down Unit, where we can provide specialized evaluation and care for as many as 22 patients.

Patients who need more complex stroke care are admitted to the adjacent 16-bed Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit. Forty Neurosciences Intermediate Care beds are also available for patients who require additional assessment and treatment after they are stabilized. Staff members in each of these units are specially trained to care for stroke patients.

In addition to conducting ongoing research studies and clinical trials, many Stroke Center faculty and staff members also work to improve stroke awareness and care regionally and throughout North Carolina by training local emergency medical personnel. We also work with the state to maintain an effective and standardized system of stroke care for all residents.

Outpatient consultative and diagnostic services for primary and secondary stroke preventive evaluations are available.