Rochester doctor joins stroke care at Auburn hospital

Auburn Community Hospital announced July 30 that Dr. Tarun Bhalla will offer comprehensive stroke and cerebrovascular care at the hospital. Bhalla is a faculty member in the departments of neurosurgery, neurology and imaging sciences, and director of stroke and cerebrovascular services at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Bhalla often offers patents either open microsurgery or endovascular, minimally invasive treatment options. He will work with the Auburn hospital’s cardiologists and primary care physicians in co-management of their patients, the hospital said in a news release.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Dr. Bhalla’s experience in Auburn. This is another great example of the benefits our community is realizing as a result of our strategic partnership with the University of Rochester Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. People in our community can feel confident that Auburn Community Hospital will offer excellent care in a timely fashion, and make sure the patient receives the proper education on managing their health after discharge,” hospital CEO and President Scott Berlucchi said in a news release.

The hospital also recently received the American Heart Association’s 2018 Stroke GOLD PLUS Award, recognizing its adherence to the “golden hour” philosophy that stroke patients must be treated within an hour of the onset of symptoms in order to give them the best chance of survival.