L.A. County Emergency Medical Services Designates St. Mary Medical Center as Comprehensive Stroke Center

LONG BEACH― Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) announced July 14, that it has earned the designation of Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency. This certification allows SMMC to receive emergency 9-1-1 patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) for potential embolectomy, the surgical removal of a blood clot.

“Becoming a leader in advanced stroke and thrombectomy care is a strenuous and rewarding accomplishment for our hospital, as we can now provide treatment for cases with the highest complexity,” said Dr. Wled Wazni, Neurointerventionist and Medical Director of SMMC’s Stroke Center. “In addition to improving clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke patients, St. Mary will save more lives in the community with quicker response times.”

“Receiving the Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is a huge success for St. Mary Medical Center,” said Carolyn Caldwell, SMMC Hospital President. “The certification provides us with the foundation to create a culture of clinical excellence as we continue to expand the services available to the communities we serve.”