Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU)

• Opened on May 15, 2018
• Provides expert neurospecialist care to patients with acute neuromedical and neurosurgical conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord
• Patient-centered and interprofessional care
• Provides acute consultation services in the emergency department and intensive care units at MetroHealth
• Serves as an acute neurosciences training platform for medical students, residents, fellows, and advanced practice providers

Leadership

Agnieszka A. Ardelt, MD, PhD, MBA has two decades of experience as an academic attending physician delivering care to patients with acute neurological conditions, including:

• Post-surgical care
• Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
• Seizures and status epilepticus
• Traumatic brain injury
• Cerebral edema and hydrocephalus
• Central nervous system infections
• Critical medical illnesses

She has experience with laboratory and clinical stroke research; interprofessional education; leadership and quality improvement; as well as neurocritical care and acute stroke operations.

“Patients who have recently had neurosurgery and some critically ill patients with strokes, seizures or other types of neurologic injury require specialized care to enhance neuro recovery,” Dr. Ardelt explains. “This approach improves the potential for neuro rehabilitation and eventual good functional outcome, and we are very excited and pleased to be able to bring this service to MetroHealth.”

Theodore Bowen, MD joined MetroHealth in 2020. He graduated summa cum laude from Miami University where he majored in Chemistry. He completed medical school at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and subsequently completed a Neurology residency and Neurocritical care fellowship at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University.

He has a special interest in EEG monitoring in the critical care setting. He has a passion for teaching and medical education and has completed a certificate program for Leadership in Medical Education offered jointly from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

He considers Cleveland home and is thrilled to be working with an excellent group of Neurologists and Neurointensivists at MetroHealth.

He is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in neurocritical care by the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties.

Jonah Grossman, MD is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  He completed his neurology training at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals and underwent additional fellowship training in neurocritical care at University of Cincinnati before joining MetroHealth in 2017. 

He is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in neurocritical care by the United Council of Neurologic Subspecialties.

His clinical practice focuses on the critical care management of:

• Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke
• Subdural Hematoma
• Intracranial Hypertension
• Neurosurgical Postoperative Management
• Seizures and Status Epilepticus
• Central Nervous System Infections and Inflammation
• Neuromuscular Emergencies
• Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury
  
   

Ari M. Wachsman MD completed residency training at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York, and fellowship in neurocritical care at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, before joining MetroHealth full-time in 2020.

Dr Wachsman is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and in neurocritical care by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties.

His clinical practice focuses on the critical care management of:

• Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Ischemic stroke
• Seizures and status epilepticus
• Infections of the central nervous system
• Spinal cord injury
• Tumors of the brain and spinal cord
• Hospital treatment of neuromuscular disorders
• Behavioral disturbance due to brain disorders
• Anoxic brain injury

Neuroscience Nursing

According to the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, neuroscience nurses independently and collaboratively provide direct patient care during all phases of neurological illness.  Research has documented that the specialized care neuroscience nurses provide yields better care quality and improved patient outcomes.

Neuroscience nurses directly prevent complications associated with neurological illness, and both patient and family needs are addressed throughout the course of the illness. (Source: Impact of Neuroscience Nursing on Quality of Care and Health Outcomes, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, May 29, 2015)

In 2019, the MetroHealth Neurocritical Care Unit (NCCU) received an educational grant for neuroscience nursing education.  As part of expanding the educational and training experience for neuroscience nurses at MetroHealth, an inaugural symposium showcasing neuroscience nursing will take place on May 22, 2020.

The goal is to offer this annual symposium as a forum to learn from leaders in the field of neuroscience nursing and showcase research by neuroscience nurses.

Fellowships in Neurocritical Care

There are two formal fellowship training programs in Neurocritical Care at MetroHealth:

• The Neurocritical Care – Acute Care Neurosurgery Fellowship is a one-year training program for neurosurgery trainees.  Learn more

• The Advanced Practice Provider Neuroscience Critical Care Fellowship is a first in the United States, one-year training program for new advanced practice graduates. Learn more

The Ohio Coverdell Stroke Program

The Ohio Coverdell Stroke Program is a data-driven quality improvement program for stroke treatment.

The program is focused on providing high quality stroke care to Ohioans by:

• Providing quality improvement resources to emergency medical service providers, hospital stroke teams and other healthcare providers
• Reducing the number of people who have recurrent strokes, stroke-related disabilities or death

Hospitals participating in the Ohio Coverdell Stroke Program are located across the state and provide high quality stroke care. 

In 2019, Dr. Ardelt was appointed as the Consulting Stroke Physician, working closely with the Coverdell Consulting Team to maximize stroke care in Ohio.