The Stroke Recovery Program at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital is one of the largest in the country. It is the most advanced program of its type in the region and has been designated as a CARF-accredited Specialty Program for Stroke.

Thousands of patients have been treated in the Stroke Recovery Program, and have returned to their families and communities with outcomes that exceed most national benchmarks.

About the Condition

Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the leading cause of disability. Stroke is a type of brain injury caused by a sudden stop of blood flow to the brain. This can happen either when a blood vessel is blocked (a blood clot) or when it bursts (a cerebral hemorrhage).

Before discharging a patient, our Team will recommend services the patient will need in order to transition to the next level of care. This might include our Day Treatment Program or Outpatient Services through MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network. We also offer access to quality skilled nursing facilities and home care through the MedStar Visiting Nurse Association. Our job is to build a roadmap for your recovery — and to support you along the journey as you rebuild your life.

Team Highlights

• Brendan E. Conroy, MD is Medical Director for the Stroke Recovery Program.
• Christine Baron, M.A., CCC-SLP is the Co-Director for the Stroke Recovery Program.
• Alexander W. Dromerick, MD is the Director for the Stroke Research Program.
• Based on the patient’s individualized needs, the team may include: a physician team leader, rehabilitation nursing, social worker/case manager, psychologist, neuropsychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, therapeutic recreation specialist, and dietician.
• Spiritual care services are also available.

Program Highlights

• The team works only with stroke patients and the inpatient unit is staffed by skilled stroke nurses.
• Every patients’ care plan includes an array of therapies and tools targeted to their special needs.
• Patients receive approximately three hours of therapy per day.
• A family education program helps prepare families and caregivers for the patients’ needs, and also focuses on prevention of recurrent stroke.
• Onsite orthotics and rehabilitation engineering services are available.
• ZeroG -- the world’s first over-ground body-weight support system – is now being used to treat patients with stroke.
• The Lokomat and LiteGait training systems are also available for therapy
• Additional support is available through the MedStar NRH Comeback Club.

More Information

To learn more about admitting a patient to the Stroke Recovery Program, please see the Admissions & Referrals section.

Video

More on Dr. Brendan Conroy and the MedStar NRH Stroke Recovery Program.