Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center Team

Advanced Practice Providers

• Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery
• Stroke Neurology
• Neurocritical Care

Nursing

• Neuroscience Nursing Team
• Cerebrovascular Research Nurse Coordinators

Neurosurgery

Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery

Our multidisciplinary team treats all types of disorders affecting the blood vessels of the brain, head and neck and spine in patients of all ages (both pediatric and adult). We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of brain aneurysms, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, brain arterial-venous malformations (AVMs), dural arterial venous fistulae (DAVF), carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, chronic subdural hematoma, vascular tumors of the brain, head and neck, epistaxis and Moya-Moya disease. We have advanced and pioneered minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of many of these diseases, allowing them to be treated easily, quickly and safely with minimal disruption of a patient’s lifestyle. We participate in and lead multiple national and international clinical research trials, which allow us to offer patients access to all of the newest and most innovative state-of-the-art technologies. Our team includes five physicians, nine physician assistants, a nurse practitioner, five nurses and seven radiology technologists.

Physicians

Endovascular Neurosurgery (Neurointerventional Radiology)

Endovascular Neurosurgery (also known as Neurointerventional Radiology or Neurointerventional Surgery) is a specialty area within medicine in which a physician called a neurointerventionalist performs minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat complex conditions of the brain, neck, and spine. These procedures use advanced, image-guided techniques to deliver treatments through a small puncture in the skin instead of open surgery.

Vascular Neurology (Stroke Neurology)

Vascular Neurology focuses on the diagnosis and medical management of diseases affecting the blood vessels of the brain, including hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), carotid and intracranial stenosis and vasculitis. We work in concert with the surgery and interventional teams to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients. We specifically focus on aggressive vascular risk factor management for the prevention of primary or recurrent stroke, as well as stroke recovery. Our team includes five physicians, three physician assistants and four nurse practitioners.

Physicians

Neurocritical Care

Neurocritical Care is focused on the intensive management of patients with the most severe and complex neurological and neurosurgical conditions. These critically ill patients are cared for in a specialized neurocritical care unit (NCCU) of the hospital. The NCCU is staffed by a large dedicated team of neurological specialists (including physicians assistants, nurse practioners, nurses, physical therapists and pharmacists) who are led by a board-certified neurointensivist. A neurointensivist is a physician with specialty training to care for these acutely ill patients with neurological diseases as well as those recovering from neurosurgical procedures. 

Neuroanesthesia

One of the key differentiating features of our cerebrovascular center is our dedicated team of 5 neuroanesthesiologists who provide care for all of our surgical procedures, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No matter what time of the day or night, no matter if the procedure is elective (planned) or performed emergently, all patients undergoing cerebrovascular procedures are cared for by one of our dedicated, specialized staff of experienced neuroanesthesia providers. This type of specialized anesthesia care is critical to achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.

Neuroradiology

Our team includes 5 radiologists with certificates of added qualification in neuroradiology. We have 7 MRI scanners including 1 state-of-the-art 3T MRI and one hybrid MRI/CT unit. In addition, we have seven CT scanners, including one dual energy CT and one portable CT for use in the Neurocritical Care Unit and Operating Room. These units are available for advanced imaging 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, allowing our patients access to the highest level of modern diagnostic imaging at all times with interpretation of that imaging by highly qualified neuroradiology specialists. In addition, Stony Brook and its satellite hospitals have implemented the RAPID.ai software, which provides the capability for computer assisted diagnosis, increasing the speed and accuracy for the identification of brain bleeds, occluded brain blood vessels and brain aneurysms.

Neurointerventional Team

Christine Denice (Assistant Director), Kate Faranda (Clinician), Carla Guerrero (RT), Lukasz Chojnowski (RT), Michael Jean (RT), Daniel Kim (RT), Tasnim Tanim (RT), Eric Birmingham (RT), Ryan Fernandez (RT), Jean Marie Delisi (RN), Maura Connolly (RN), Dina Symonds (RN), Catherine Clark (RN), Kristy Rotola (RN)

Advanced Practice Providers

Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery

Stroke Neurology

Neurocritical Care

Nursing

Neuroscience Nursing Team

Our highly specialized Neuroscience Nursing Team is dedicated to providing the highest level of comprehensive care directly to our patients. Our nursing team incorporates a number of leaders with specific roles designed to continually evaluate and optimize neurological care. We focus on a contemporaneous, evidenced-based, program of aggressive quality assurance and continual process improvement.

Our Stroke Program Coordinator plans, puts into effect and evaluates programs within our comprehensive stroke center to achieve the highest quality, patient-focused outcomes.

Our Stroke Nurse Navigator provides individualized assistance to our stroke patients and their families to help troubleshoot and overcome any barriers to their care.

Our Stroke Data Specialists ensure that we have an evidenced based, contemporary understanding of our stroke outcomes data and examine, summarize, and provide insights into trends arising from the data. This data analysis facilitates continued process improvement, expediting and improving our ability to care for patients with acute ischemic stroke and brain hemorrhages.  We also provide direct feedback to our pre-hospital EMS collaborators as well as our referring hospitals on patients transferred to Stony Brook for emergency treatment and advanced cerebrovascular care.

Our Stroke Accreditation Program Nurse Practitioner ensures that our stroke care is consistent with current, best-practice guidelines and collaborates in the development, implementation and analysis of research and evidenced-based quality projects.

Anne Froehlich, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator • Marret Anderson, RN, MS, ANP-C, Stroke Navigator  • Josephine George, RN, Stroke Data Specialist  • Eileen Conlon, RN, Stroke Data Specialist and MSU Data Coordinator  • Antonieta Rosenberg, NP, Stroke Accreditation Program Lead Nurse Practitioner

 

Cerebrovascular Research Nurse Coordinators

As Suffolk County’s only academic medical center, we are dedicated to advancing the newest, safest and most innovative treatments for cerebrovascular disease. Many of these treatments are only available within the context of ongoing clinical research trials. We have two dedicated certified research nurse coordinators (CRNCs) who are responsible for maintaining and implementing these research protocols and assisting patients (and the families of patients) who are participating in these trials. We are currently participating in more than 15 active clinical research trials If you are a patient and you think you may qualify for one of our ongoing research trials, please contact either Marlene Baumeister, RN, at (631) 444-1610 or Dawn Madigan, RN, at (631) 444-8121.