Neurocritical care is one of the newest and fastest-growing specialties in medicine today. The first academic Neuro-ICUs in the United States were established in the early 1980’s. Today there are specialized neurological ICUs in hospitals throughout the country, with a primary focus on treatment of patients with neurological emergencies such as ruptured aneurysms, acute strokes, intracerebral hemorrhages and traumatic brain injury as well as the treatment of patients requiring neurosurgical postoperative care.

Rhode Island Hospital is nationally recognized for superior critical care services, and it is the only hospital in the state to have a critical care service dedicated to the treatment of neurological patients. In the neurocritical care unit, coordinated neurologic care is provided by neurointensivists in collaboration with neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, and neurologists.