San Francisco Hospital Treating Bryan Stow Recognized As Brain Trauma Leader
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The San Francisco hospital that received national attention for treating brutally beaten San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow has become the first hospital in the nation certified to treat traumatic brain injuries.
The Brain and Spinal Injury Center at San Francisco General Hospital earned that recognition for excellence treating about 1,200 patients every year like Stow for severe brain and spinal cord injuries, said Dr. Geoffrey Manley, the center's chief of neurosurgery.
"It's really an external validation of everything that we've been trying to do for the last 10 years", he said.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Manley praised the dedication and focus of the center's team of highly educated and well-trained brain injury specialists for helping set a national standard established by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organizations.
"Whether it's a high visibility patient such as Bryan Stow or it's just the person that slipped and fell in the bathroom, you're going to get that same level of care here," Manley said.
Stow has made significant progress since being transferred to San Francisco General in May, though his condition is still considered serious.
"I think it's a tribute to our whole team," Manley said.
The certification announced Monday came after a summer filled with patients whose cases garnered media attention.
Ryan White, the 9-year-old from Pennsylvania who was hit in a crosswalk after an August Giants game, was treated at San Francisco General. So was Mark McGovern, a Gaelic football player knocked unconscious during a game in June.
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