Sarasota Memorial Comprehensive Stroke Center

The most advanced stroke interventions are available at SMH-Sarasota, the only nationally recognized, state-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center in Sarasota County. Comprehensive Stroke Centers offer a wider range of specialists and the latest treatment options for people who suffer complex strokes, severe deficits or multiple organ challenges.

SMH-Venice is designated as a Primary Stroke Center. This designation signifies that SMH-Venice completed a rigorous onsite survey and met or exceeded all requirements for advanced stroke care. SMH’s freestanding ER in North Port is designated as an Acute Stroke Ready Center. All three SMH facilities follow the same emergency care protocols to diagnose and stabilize patients experiencing stroke emergencies, with helipads to speed transport time for patients who need to be airlifted from outlying areas or transported to SMH-Sarasota. The system-of-care approach ensures stroke patients receive the right care at the right time, regardless of which SMH facility initially treats and stabilizes.

For stroke resources and physician referrals, please call 941-917-7777 or 800-764-8255 ext. 7777 (toll free).

The SMH Comprehensive Stroke Center offers:

• Multidisciplinary collaboration – Board-certified, specialty trained physicians in Stroke Neurology, Vascular Neurosurgery and Endovascular Neuroradiology work as a team to assess, diagnose and carry out life-saving interventions for all kinds of stroke — even rare and highly complicated cases.

• State-of-the-art therapies – Our stroke care program provides Endovascular, Neurosurgical, Neuroimaging and Neurointensivist therapies. These include minimally invasive thrombectomy; brain glue, coils and implanted pellets; cerebrovascular blood clot removal; and repair of abnormal intracranial blood vessels.

• One-of-a-kind stroke rehabilitation – Housed in the Rehabilitation Pavilion, located on the main SMH campus, Sarasota Memorial's comprehensive rehab program is the only local option for hospital-based inpatient services, with complete medical and emergency services available onsite, 24/7. The program carries the highest level of accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), with additional certification as a Stroke Specialty provider. Click here for more information on Stroke Rehab, and for a virtual tour of the Rehab Pavilion, click here.

• Clinical trials – We participate in stroke-specific national and international clinical trials, including advanced hypothermia treatments for ischemic stroke patients and the innovative use of clot-dissolving recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) to treat bleeding caused by hemorrhagic strokes.

• Hospital-to-hospital transfers – Sarasota Memorial Hospital's Transfer Center ensures the quick and smooth transfer of patients from other hospitals to Sarasota Memorial. Please call 941-917-3900 to initiate the patient transfer process.

Our Stroke Care Team

Sarasota Memorial’s Stroke Team is nationally recognized for following advanced stroke protocols and collaborating to provide the best treatment options for people whose lives are threatened by stroke. Led by Medical Director Mauricio Concha, MD, MHS, a Stroke Neurologist board-certified in Neurology and Vascular Neurology, our stroke team includes board-certified neurosurgeons, neurologists, neurointerventional radiologists and interventional radiologists.

• Board-certified Physiatrist (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician)
• Board-certified Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Certified Stroke Nurses
• Clinical Case Managers
• Certified Stroke Rehab Physical Therapists
• Certified Stroke Rehab Occupational Therapists
• Registered Dietitians
• Certified Speech Therapists
• Certified Swallow Therapists