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BWH’s already state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED) took another step forward with the November opening of the Emergency Cardiac Neuro Unit (ECNU). The new unit allows ED staff to better provide the most immediate, time-critical care to patients suffering life-threatening cardiac and neurological emergencies.The freestanding unit has nine patient care areas, five stretchers and four fast track booths. The ECNU is staffed by a dedicated attending physician, resident, nurses and emergency services assistants (ESAs). According to Richard Zane, MD, vice chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, the new unit will treat patients who have suffered an acute stroke, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, intracerebral hemorrhage and other cerebrovascular accidents or cardiovascular emergencies.Some goals for the ECNU include facilitating access to the Stroke Program and the team of radiologists and neurosurgeons to improve recovery rates. Also, the ECNU intends to improve early intervention for heart attack patients by providing access to the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week resources of the ED’s Cardiovascular Center. “The focus is emergency cardiac care and neuro care,” said Judy Perron, RN, ED nurse manager, “This has been a successful collaborative effort between the ED and the Departments of Cardiology and Neurology.”According to Ron Walls, MD, chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, the ECNU is off to a great start and is already proving to be a successful addition to the existing ED.