PERSPECTIVES: Claude Hemphill on ICH, Prognostication and the Curing Coma Campaign

In this episode of the NCS Podcast Perspectives series, Nicholas Morris, MD, speaks with Claude Hemphill, MD, MAS, FNCS, professor of neurology and neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, and chief of neurology and director of neurocritical care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Hemphill reflects on the patient encounters that shaped his career, his longstanding focus on intracerebral hemorrhage and the clinical gaps that led to development of the ICH score.

He discusses how the score was intended to support communication and risk stratification rather than precise prognostication, and shares insights on early care limitations, ICU culture and the importance of aligning teams around thoughtful, aggressive care when appropriate. The conversation also explores the origins and progress of the Curing Coma® Campaign, including its role in advancing research, driving culture change and fostering collaboration across the continuum of care.

The views expressed on the NCS Podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official positions of the Neurocritical Care Society.