Teaneck-based Holy Name announced Feb. 11 the launch of the Douglas M. Noble, M.D. Neuroendovascular Institute, making the hospital as one of the region’s leading centers for stroke treatment, neurovascular care and complex neurosurgical interventions.
The institute will combine Holy Name’s neurologists and interventional specialists with the nationally renowned experts from Columbia University Irving Medical Center. This collaboration delivers highly regarded neurological care to New Jersey residents, eliminating the need for patients to travel, face long commutes, or be separated from their support systems.
The institute will utilize the Siemens Artis icono biplane, considered a superior system for diagnosing and treating complex neuroendovascular conditions. The biplane angiography system provides simultaneous, dual-angle imaging for a near-3D view of the brain and spine, giving neurosurgeons millimeter-level precision. It reduces radiation exposure, cuts contrast use, and enhances both the precision and safety of procedures, allowing physicians to treat patients with minimally invasive techniques.
This technology helps ensure patients benefit from safer procedures, faster treatment and recovery, and better outcomes, especially in time-critical cases like acute stroke and aneurysm repair.
“Cerebrovascular and endovascular care is inherently complex, but our highly trained team and cutting-edge technologies enable us to deliver exceptional, precise treatment,” said Dr. Eleonora Spinazzi, cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Director of Holy Name’s Neuroendovascular Institute.
“This investment marks a turning point for Holy Name,” said Mike Maron, CEO and president. “We are redefining what neurological care looks like for our community and the entire region.”
Having advanced imaging technologies, such as a biplane system, is a requirement for hospitals seeking certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest national standard for stroke care. These centers have the expertise to treat all types of stroke, including both blood clot-related (ischemic) and bleeding (hemorrhagic) strokes, and function as a resource for local hospitals that treat high-acuity neurological emergencies.
The institute’s director, Dr. Spinazzi, brings academic-level subspecialty expertise directly to the Holy Name community. Dr. E. Sander Connolly, chair of neurosurgery at Columbia and the newly appointed chief of neurosurgery at Holy Name, provides strategic oversight to ensure that the institute’s direction aligns with patient needs.
Holy Name is also rolling out a next-generation, real-time EMS-integrated stroke activation system through the Helix platform. This system notifies the entire stroke team, including EMS, emergency department, neurology, neurosurgery, and imaging, as soon as paramedics identify a potential stroke in the field. The result is a faster, more coordinated response, shorter “door-to-recanalization” times, and improved patient outcomes.
