Koto Ishida, MD

I’ve been interested in science since childhood, but I didn’t consider a career in medicine until after my undergraduate studies. During medical school, I was torn between a love of neurology and internal medicine. I ultimately chose to specialize in vascular neurology, because it’s a perfect blend of the two.

At NYU Langone, I evaluate and treat people who have or are at high risk for neurovascular diseases, the most common of which is stroke. Because strokes are sudden and unexpected by definition, I spend much of my time in the emergency department. Given how common strokes are, I encounter people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Stroke is one of the most interdisciplinary specialties in medicine. At our Center for Stroke and Neurovascular Diseases, I collaborate with doctors from neurosurgery, emergency medicine, neurocritical care, cardiology, and rehabilitation medicine, to provide patients with individualized care programs. We prioritize involving our patients and their families in treatment discussions and decisions. Stroke treatment isn’t black and white—there are many possible paths and unknowns; my job is to educate people on all their options, so they can make informed decisions.

Although my first encounter with many of my patients is during a time of chaos and crisis, I see it as a teachable moment—it’s a “wake-up call” for my patients to pay closer attention to their health. The usual course after a stroke is for people to get better with time, so one of the most gratifying aspects of my job is being able to reassure patients about this, and ultimately witness their recovery. The initial treatment phase is the most visible part of stroke care, but at NYU Langone, we understand that the entire spectrum of care is vital for recovery—everything from “risk to rehab.”

Education is an important part of stroke care at NYU Langone and one of my personal passions. Often, patients come to me for a second or third opinion. They tell us that our ability to explain things in understandable language and our willingness to listen is what sets our care apart. My team is also very active in community and pre-hospital education, and we regularly hold stroke awareness events in diverse settings throughout New York City.

I help teach medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty in NYU Langone’s Department of Neurology and other departments about stroke. I am grateful to have received several teaching awards from students and residents. In 2014, I started the Vascular Neurology Fellowship at NYU Langone, which has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

As medical director of NYU Langone’s stroke service, much of my time is dedicated to administrative expansion and advancement of the stroke program. Our Comprehensive Stroke Center, with locations in Manhattan and at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, achieved comprehensive certification by The Joint Commission, the organization that accredits and certifies healthcare programs and organizations. I am also committed to improving standardization and quality of stroke care, and to decreasing existing disparities in the quality of care on a national level. As such, I sit on various guideline development committees and work groups within the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the American Academy of Neurology.

My ultimate hope is that my enthusiasm for stroke awareness and education becomes universally compelling and infectious. Here at NYU Langone, our motto is “everyone is a member of the stroke team.”