Neurocritical Care

Our neurocritical care teams provide exceptional care and support for patients and families.

To learn more about our services or schedule an appointment, call:

For people with stroke, brain injuries and other neurological conditions, effective neurocritical care can reduce the risk of further brain injury and complications after surgery.

What Is Neurocritical Care?

Neurocritical care, or neurointensive care, is an advanced level of care for people with serious neurological conditions. The role of the neurocritical care team is to recognize complications early and step in with immediate treatment.

Neurointensivists lead the team of highly trained medical personnel. These physicians have specialized training in both critical care medicine and neurology. Other team members include:

Advanced practice providers
Nurses
Pastoral care providers
Pharmacists
Neuroradiology specialists
Neurorehabilitation therapists
Respiratory technologists
Social workers

Neurologists and neurosurgeons at Memorial Neuroscience Institute also work with neurocritical care teams to guide treatment.

Conditions We Treat

Neurocritical care teams treat people with traumatic injuries and life-threatening neurological disorders. Common conditions we treat include:

Brain and spinal cord infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis
Brain tumors
Epilepsy and status epilepticus (long-lasting seizures)
Neuromuscular disorders that can lead to respiratory failure, such as myasthenia gravis and Guillain Barré syndrome
Ruptured brain aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
Stroke
Traumatic brain injuries and traumatic spine injuries

They also provide care for neurological complications from other conditions, such as heart attack.

Neurocritical Care Across Memorial Healthcare System

Patients have access to neurocritical care at all five of our hospitals. Neurocritical care teams are part of the intensive care units (ICUs) at Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West. Patients needing this level of care typically come to the ICU from the emergency department and after neurosurgery.

Neurocritical care specialists also provide consultations for patients at Memorial Hospital Pembroke, Memorial Hospital Miramar and Memorial Regional Hospital South.

Nationally Recognized Care

Neurocritical care is an essential part of our ability to provide first-class care. We have earned several national recognitions that demonstrate this level of excellence:

Comprehensive Stroke Centers: Our Comprehensive Stroke Centers at Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West exceed national benchmarks for stroke survival.
Level 1 trauma center: Memorial Regional Hospital is a Level 1 trauma center capable of providing the most advanced care available. As a regional leader, we receive complex cases from other hospitals in the area.

Making a Difference for Our Patients

Memorial Neuroscience Institute provides extraordinary care every day for a wide range of neurological conditions.

Why Choose Memorial for Neurosurgery

Christopher DeMassi, MD, chief, Memorial Neuroscience Institute, and Daniel Aghion, MD, neurosurgeon, explains why you should choose Memorial for neurosurgery.

Learn about the benefits of having neurosurgery at Memorial Neuroscience Institute.

Comedian Kyle Grooms Stands Up for His Brain Surgery Experience at Memorial

Kyle Grooms is a south Florida standup comedian who had a seizure and was rushed to Memorial. With tremors and weakness on his right side, a CAT scan showed a hemorrhage in Kyle’s brain. Worried that his standup career and quality of life might be in jeopardy, Kyle trusted his neurosurgeon Clinton Burkett, MD, at Memorial Neuroscience Institute, who told him surgery was the only option.

Dr. Burkett performed a successful left frontal craniotomy to remove a benign lesion in Kyle’s brain and he made a full recovery. Now, Kyle gratefully jokes about his positive care experience at Memorial and life after brain surgery.

Awake Brain Surgery at Memorial Neuroscience Institute

Brandon J. Davis, MD, Neurosurgeon, and Madiley Broz, PsyD, Neuropsychologist, explain awake brain surgery at Memorial Neuroscience.

Awake brain surgery is a special type of craniotomy performed when a tumor or a lesion is located in very sensitive areas of the brain. Initially sedated, the patient is awakened during surgery in order to provide feedback that helps guide the neurosurgeon during the procedure.

Byron, who had a brain cancer tumor shares some of what he experienced during his awake brain surgery procedure.