The UC Davis Medical Center Stroke Program features acute inpatient care as well as outpatient management of cerebrovascular disease. Patients are triaged in the Department of Emergency Medicine and receive aggressive medical care that includes thrombolytic therapy, interventional neuroradiologic techniques and new medications under clinical investigation. A four-bed stroke unit provides intense monitoring and rehabilitation of stroke patients. After they are discharged, patients can receive follow-up services through a weekly outpatient clinic.

Piero Verro, assistant professor of neurology, heads the program and team for acute stroke patients. The team consists of emergency medicine nurses and physicians, as well as in-house neurology residents and neurology faculty, including a stroke neurologist. The goal of the Acute Stroke Team is to rapidly evaluate and treat acute stroke patients, including a door-to-needle time of one hour for patients who are candidates for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV TPA). There is a written care protocol that features a list of inclusion and exclusion criteria for administering TPA as well as pre- and post-TPA treatment guidelines.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coordinates efforts with the Department of Emergency Medicine for rapid transport of acute stroke patients. There are also ongoing educational activities for EMS and emergency department personnel.

Stroke services inpatient-care features a stroke unit with at least four beds and cardiac monitoring. Stroke services adhere to predefined admission orders for consistent, complete and efficient evaluation and treatment. Experienced neuroscience nurses staff the unit, which strives to house no more than three patients per nurse. The medical management is under the care of the stroke neurologist. Early rehabilitation is encouraged and guided by physicians from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The unit also coordinates activities between nurses and therapists, including ongoing education.

Many imaging services are available to complement stroke services. In-house computed tomography (CT) is available 24 hours per day for patients needing special care. In addition, advanced neuroimaging is routinely available for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resonance imaging angiography (MRA) and interventional neuroradiology.

The stroke service also participates in the evaluation of new forms of treatment. Examples of treatment evaluation include intra-arterial thrombolysis, mechanical clot retrieval, new methods of patient selection to extend medication time window (the neuroprotectants and surgical and medical interventions.