Comprehensive Stroke Center

Comprehensive Stroke Center

You receive expert stroke care, including advanced treatments and a team dedicated to your recovery every step of the way.

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Why choose UCSF Health for stroke care?

At UCSF Health, our Comprehensive Stroke Center provides expert care for people experiencing a stroke or at risk of one. We provide 24/7 emergency stroke services and monitoring, using the most advanced tools to quickly diagnose and treat all types of stroke. We're certified as a comprehensive stroke center (the highest level of certification) by the Joint Commission, American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

Our team includes specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, rehabilitation and more, all working together to support you from emergency care to recovery. You receive skilled, compassionate care and the treatment you need, whether it's medication, a minimally invasive procedure or surgery.

You can also get outpatient services for stroke prevention, follow-up care and long-term rehabilitation. We welcome patients at our Stroke Clinic and Neurorecovery Clinic for evaluations, second opinions or therapy.

  • Certified comprehensive stroke center

    We meet the highest national standards, providing fast, expert stroke care when every minute counts for your health and recovery.

  • Tailored treatment plans

    We combine the most advanced diagnostic techniques with our expertise in the latest stroke treatments to personalize your care.

  • Prevention and recovery focus

    We guide your care from stroke prevention through recovery, helping you regain strength, independence and quality of life.

  • Leader in stroke research

    We're part of the National Institutes of Health's network of 27 regional leaders for research on stroke prevention, treatment and recovery.

Comprehensive stroke prevention and treatment

A stroke happens when blood flow to your brain is blocked (ischemic stroke) or because of bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). A stroke is a significant health event affecting your physical health and well-being.

We use a team approach for compassionate, comprehensive care. Your care team includes stroke specialists in:

  • Neurology

  • Neurosurgery

  • Neurointerventional radiology

  • Cerebrovascular and endovascular surgery

  • Neurocritical care

  • Neuroscience ICU nurse practitioners and nurses

  • Physical and occupational therapy

  • Speech-language pathology

Advanced treatment

We treat all types of conditions that increase the risk of stroke and offer the latest therapies for stroke care and prevention. Treatments and services we provide include:

  • 24/7 emergency stroke care. We provide urgent care around the clock because fast treatment helps prevent brain injury and improves outcomes.

  • Advanced diagnosis and treatment. We use imaging to quickly identify if you are having a stroke and optimize your treatment options. Stroke treatments include clot-busting medications, thrombectomy and minimally invasive procedures, such as stenting and aneurysm coiling.

  • Specialized aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation (AVM) care. We offer treatments such as clipping, coiling, embolization and radiotherapy to prevent future strokes.

  • Inpatient hospital services. If you need emergency or complex stroke care, we have a dedicated neurosciences intensive care unit.

  • Outpatient stroke care and prevention. After discharge, we provide follow-up care, second opinions, stroke prevention and monitoring through our stroke clinic.

  • Stroke rehabilitation and recovery. We offer therapy and support to help you rebuild strength, mobility, speech and independence.

Outstanding outcomes

We work to continually raise the bar for exceptional neurovascular care. Part of this effort involves tracking our patient outcomes after treatment to ensure complication rates remain as low as possible and sharing this data with the public.

30-day stroke or in-hospital mortality rate by procedure
Procedure 30 day stroke or in-hospital mortality rate
After diagnostic angiogram 0.1%
After carotid revascularization procedure (CEA/CAS/TCAR) for asymptomatic carotid stenosis 0.0%
After carotid revascularization procedure (CEA/CAS/TCAR) for symptomatic carotid stenosis 2.3%

Dates: January 2023 – December 2025

Recovering from a stroke

We offer nonurgent evaluations, monitoring and follow-up care for people recovering from a stroke. Through our Neurorecovery Clinic, we provide care for all stages of life after a stroke.

Commitment to research

UCSF Health researchers are working to find new therapies for stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. Some of our patients can join clinical trials for new stroke therapies. If you've had a stroke, you may be eligible to join the Stroke Recovery Initiative, a national registry for patients who are interested in participating in stroke research.

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    Award-winning stroke care

    We've received national recognition for our excellence in neurology, neurosurgery and stroke care.

    • Among the top hospitals in the nation

    • Best in the West and No. 2 in the nation for neurology & neurosurgery

    • Rated high-performing hospital for stroke

    • Certified comprehensive stroke center

    Related services

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    Pediatric stroke care

    We're part of the UCSF Pediatric Brain Center and one of the few centers in the U.S. providing stroke care for infants and children.
    Learn more