Dr. Arshad Iqbal recognized for efforts to improve systems for care, prevention of Strokes

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Dr. Arshad Iqbal recognized for efforts to improve systems for care, prevention of Strokes

Dr. ArshadIqbal of Warwick will receive the American Stroke Association Community Conscience Award 9th Annual Summit of the NorthEast Cerebrovascular Consortium (NECC), to be held in October 2015at the Newport Marriott.

The American Stroke Association Community Conscience Award is given annually to an individual that has been an advocate for policy change supported by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to improve stroke systems of care including prevention,treatment and rehabilitation for stroke patients within the northeast region.

Dr. Brian Silver, President, Rhode Island Board of Directors at the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association in a statement states that“Dr. ArshadIqbal has been instrumental in organizing stroke care in Rhode Island. His dedication to improving the care of stroke patients has led to many lives saved and improved. We are grateful for his efforts and are thrilled that he has received this award.”

Dr. Iqbal is a Neurologist in private practice in Rhode Island. He is the chair of the Rhode Island Stroke Task Force and director of the Stroke Program at Kent Hospital. He also serves as a Member of Steering Committee for the Rhode Island Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program. He received his MD from Dow Medical College in Pakistan, a prestigious Institute of Advanced Health Sciences in Southeast Asia. He completed his Neurology Residency and Stroke Fellowship at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. Having completed his formal training, Dr. Iqbal joined Kent Hospital as a Consultant Neurologist, where he presently serves as Chief of the Division of Neurology.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Iqbal has led efforts to create a coordinated Stroke System of Care in the Ocean State. As a member (and later chair) of the Rhode Island Stroke Task Force, Dr. Iqbal worked closely with the American Stroke Association, Rhode Island Department of Health, physicians, nurses and EMS professionals to conduct research and make formal recommendations to the RI General Assembly outlining ways to improve stroke care in Rhode Island. After finalizing the report, Iqbal co-authored the Stroke Prevention and Treatment Act of 2009 with the American Stroke Association and RI Stroke Task Force and successfully advocated for its passage and enactment during the 2009 Legislative Session.

The Stroke Prevention and Treatment Act of 2009 established a comprehensive system of care for stroke patients in Rhode Island including primary stroke center designation, a statewide pre-hospital care protocol and continuous quality improvement. Following enactment, Iqbal worked with the RI Stroke Task Force and Department of Health to ensure the law was fully implemented.

Dr. Iqbal currently works with the Task Force and the Department to evaluate data from the state’s stroke registry, identify gaps and ensure continued improvements in care. He also maintains contact with legislative champions to make certain that the state’s advances in stroke care are sustained.

Dr. Michael Fine, Director, Rhode Island Department of Health expressed his enthusiasm by stating, “Through his work as a spokesman, advocate, educator and clinician, Dr. Iqbal has had an immeasurable impact on stroke outcomes in Rhode Island. His commitment to his patients and to advancing legislation that is creating a more coordinated system of stroke care make him a role model in the healthcare provider community in our state. I am both fortunate and proud to call Dr. Iqbal a colleague.”

In 2013 Iqbal was named to Rhode Island Monthly’s list of Top Docs. Thousands of Rhode Island licensed physicians were sent a survey and asked to name the specialist they would choose if a family member or friend had a medical problem. The names that appeared most frequently on the survey make up the list of the state’s 160 finest doctors, as voted by their peers.

The NorthEast Cerebrovascular Consortium (NECC) Awards presentation honoring Dr. Iqbal will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 in Newport. Mitchell S. V. Elkind, MD, MS, FAAN, FAHA from Columbia University Medical Center in New York will also be honored with the 2014 C. Miller Fisher, MD Neuroscience Visionary Award Recipient for his work spearheading progress in the field of stroke neurology. The awards presentation will be followed by a cocktail reception.Tickets for the NorthEast Cerebrovascular Consortium (NECC) two-day professional education event are available at www.thenecc.org.

2017-04-26T12:34:54+00:00