Unsurpassed Stroke Care
Seconds count when you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke. It’s vital to receive stroke treatment as quickly as possible.

Our highly skilled team of stroke care professionals are prepared to help you during those crucial moments.
Within seconds of arriving in our emergency department, patients with stroke symptoms go for a CT scan of the head and receive an evaluation that results in a quick diagnosis and course of treatment.
Every 3-4 minutes, someone dies from a stroke. Every hour into a stroke, the brain is aged 3.6 years. Thankfully, HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital offers state-of-the-art telemedicine "robot" technology that puts you in touch with time-saving, life-saving stroke evaluation and treatment – immediately.
Stroke Telemedicine Program
Early, real-time access to advanced neurology specialists makes the most of stroke's most critical time – when lives are saved and brain function can be preserved. This telemedicine technology means if you’re having a stroke, you have immediate access to leading neurologists right here in Highland at SJH. Real-time web-based video and audio equipment lets specialists evaluate and interact directly with you and the emergency department physician remotely.
Early, real-time access to advanced neurology specialists makes the most of stroke's most critical time – when lives are saved and brain function can be preserved. This telemedicine technology means if you’re having a stroke, you have immediate access to leading neurologists right here in Highland at SJH. Real-time web-based video and audio equipment lets specialists evaluate and interact directly with you and the emergency department physician remotely.
Emergent Stroke Ready Hospital
HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital in Highland is pleased to be one of the very few hospitals in the region with the state-awarded Emergent Stroke Ready Hospital (ESRH) designation. The Illinois Department of Public Health makes these designations based on the hospital's ability to meet certain criteria aligning with nationally recognized, evidence-based standards, such as those from the American Heart/Stroke Association and Brain Attack Coalition.
Illinois was one of the first states in the nation to incorporate another level of stroke center into its law. ESRHs – hospitals that diagnose, treat and transport acute stroke patients to a higher level of care as warranted – must annually attest their continued compliance with criteria outlined in the statute and the regulation to the IDPH.
Stroke Signs & Symptoms
A stroke is an interruption in the blood flow to our brain from either a clot or a break in the blood vessel. It is critical for someone who is experiencing signs or symptoms of a stroke to be transported to the hospital by trained medical personnel immediately. Early recognition is key, and a stroke is a medical emergency. Treatment options depend on the type, source and location of the stroke.