Houston Methodist St. John Hospital appoints neurology medical director
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital has named Akhila Vijayakumar, M.D., as medical director of inpatient neurology and stroke.
“It is an honor to serve as medical director and continue to advance the great work that our physicians and staff do on behalf of patients,” said Vijayakumar. “We are committed to ensuring that Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is leading the way in identifying and utilizing clinical best practices in neurology and stroke care to deliver the best possible patient outcomes.”
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is certified Stroke Ready by the healthcare quality assurance company DNV-GL.
“Dr. Vijayakumar is an excellent physician who is well respected by her peers and we are extremely pleased that she will be leading our inpatient neurology and stroke services,” says Dan Newman, CEO of Houston Methodist St. John Hospital. “Our recent Stroke Ready certification is just one example of how we are positioning Houston Methodist St. John to deliver advanced care for Bay Area residents.”
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of adult disability. A stroke occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the brain due to a leaking blood vessel or a blood clot. Strokes cause the loss of memory and muscle control, sometimes permanently, and can be fatal if severe.
“One of the keys to minimizing the impact of stroke is to recognize its symptoms and seek care immediately,” says Vijayakumar. “When a patient comes to the emergency room here at Houston Methodist St. John Hospital, we can administer life-saving medications, like the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator, or TPA, or even perform surgery that can repair the damage to the blood vessel and brain and reduce the lasting complications. And we offer the full range of rehabilitation services that can help stroke survivors regain their lost skills, such as physical and speech therapy.”
If you or someone you know suffers the following symptoms, call 911 immediately and ask that the patient be taken to Houston Methodist St. John Hospital:
• Sudden weakness/numbness on one side of the body
• Slurred or impaired speech
• Blurred, double vision or loss of vision
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Vijayakumar, of Houston Methodist Neurology Associates at St. John, is board-certified in internal medicine and neurology. She specializes in muscle and nerve disorders and works extensively with patients suffering from headaches/migraines and those with epilepsy, along with patients recovering from stroke. She earned her medical degree from the Academy of Medical Sciences at Kannur University, and completed an internship in internal medicine at Atlanta Medical Center. She later completed a residency in neurology at Yale University School of Medicine and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston.
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is committed to leading medicine in Bay Area communities by delivering the Houston Methodist standard of safety, quality, service and innovation. The growing campus offers nearly 200 beds and access to the most innovative medical and surgical care available, including minimally invasive surgery, full-spectrum heart care, state-of-the-art imaging, , labor and delivery with a level II neonatal ICU, neurology, orthopedics and sports medicine, outpatient rehabilitation and 24/7 emergency services.
To find a Houston Methodist St. John Hospital physician, visit houstonmethodist.org/find-a-doctor or call 281.333.8899.
“It is an honor to serve as medical director and continue to advance the great work that our physicians and staff do on behalf of patients,” said Vijayakumar. “We are committed to ensuring that Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is leading the way in identifying and utilizing clinical best practices in neurology and stroke care to deliver the best possible patient outcomes.”
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is certified Stroke Ready by the healthcare quality assurance company DNV-GL.
“Dr. Vijayakumar is an excellent physician who is well respected by her peers and we are extremely pleased that she will be leading our inpatient neurology and stroke services,” says Dan Newman, CEO of Houston Methodist St. John Hospital. “Our recent Stroke Ready certification is just one example of how we are positioning Houston Methodist St. John to deliver advanced care for Bay Area residents.”
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of adult disability. A stroke occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the brain due to a leaking blood vessel or a blood clot. Strokes cause the loss of memory and muscle control, sometimes permanently, and can be fatal if severe.
“One of the keys to minimizing the impact of stroke is to recognize its symptoms and seek care immediately,” says Vijayakumar. “When a patient comes to the emergency room here at Houston Methodist St. John Hospital, we can administer life-saving medications, like the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator, or TPA, or even perform surgery that can repair the damage to the blood vessel and brain and reduce the lasting complications. And we offer the full range of rehabilitation services that can help stroke survivors regain their lost skills, such as physical and speech therapy.”
If you or someone you know suffers the following symptoms, call 911 immediately and ask that the patient be taken to Houston Methodist St. John Hospital:
• Sudden weakness/numbness on one side of the body
• Slurred or impaired speech
• Blurred, double vision or loss of vision
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Vijayakumar, of Houston Methodist Neurology Associates at St. John, is board-certified in internal medicine and neurology. She specializes in muscle and nerve disorders and works extensively with patients suffering from headaches/migraines and those with epilepsy, along with patients recovering from stroke. She earned her medical degree from the Academy of Medical Sciences at Kannur University, and completed an internship in internal medicine at Atlanta Medical Center. She later completed a residency in neurology at Yale University School of Medicine and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston.
Houston Methodist St. John Hospital is committed to leading medicine in Bay Area communities by delivering the Houston Methodist standard of safety, quality, service and innovation. The growing campus offers nearly 200 beds and access to the most innovative medical and surgical care available, including minimally invasive surgery, full-spectrum heart care, state-of-the-art imaging, , labor and delivery with a level II neonatal ICU, neurology, orthopedics and sports medicine, outpatient rehabilitation and 24/7 emergency services.
To find a Houston Methodist St. John Hospital physician, visit houstonmethodist.org/find-a-doctor or call 281.333.8899.