Akron General Medical Center is opening its new neurological intensive-care unit today following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for invited guests.
The hospital converted 10 of its 69 critical-care beds into a neuro ICU dedicated to treating patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, brain surgery and other serious neurological problems.
The medical center acquired special monitors to measure pressure in the brain and other signs of change in neurological function for patients in the new neuro ICU, as well as a unit that can cool patients’ brains to promote recovery. The neuro ICU also has a $500,000 portable CT scanner that can provide images of patients’ brains without moving them to the radiology department.
Today’s launch of the medical center’s neuro ICU is one of several steps Akron General Health System is taking as part of a multimillion-dollar initiative to boost treatment for strokes, brain cancers and neurological disorder.
The health system announced last year that it was joining with a group of local neurosurgeons to establish a Neuroscience Institute at Akron General Medical Center to offer high-tech care closer to home.
According to Akron General officials, about 600 Summit County residents leave the county each year for neurological care.
Screenings offered
The Aultman Cancer Center in Canton is signing up patients beginning this week for free services during its 11th Cancer Screening Day.
Free colon, breast, cervical, prostate, skin and lung cancer screenings will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon March 10. Educational materials also will be available about the signs and symptoms of cancer and screening guidelines.
Appointments are required by calling 330-363-2865 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
A doctor checkup
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune shared these five tips for checking out doctors:
• Check the state regulatory website to look up a doctor’s license status and any disciplinary actions. (In Ohio, the website for the Ohio State Medical Board is www.med.ohio.gov.)
• Check court records for lawsuits. Most courts have online databases that allow users to search for suits by name.
• Verify that a doctor is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties by going online to www.abms.org. The service is free after registration.
• Go online to the American Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors’ site at http://docboard.org/docfinder.html to check for free whether a doctor has any board sanctions nationwide.
• Check out one of the physician rating services. For example, HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com) allows patients to complete confidential surveys on their doctors and then share aggregated results for free.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.
