Henry Ford Hospital, Henry Ford Jackson Hospital Earn Stroke Care Recertifications from The Joint Commission

DETROIT  – Henry Ford Hospital has earned re-certification by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stoke Center, and Henry Ford Jackson Hospital has earned re-certification as a Primary Stroke Center. 

The Comprehensive Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission indicates that Henry Ford Hospital is able to provide the most advanced stroke care in the most expeditious manner possible. The Comprehensive Stroke Center is staffed by Henry Ford’s Stroke Interdisciplinary Team, as well as the Ford Acute Stroke Treatment Team – or FAST Team, which can rapidly evaluate a patient with suspected stroke at any Henry Ford Emergency Department and determine in minutes if the patient should receive advanced surgical or catheter-based treatments. One of those advanced treatment options is endovascular thrombectomy, which is the insertion of a tiny catheter directly into the brain to retrieve stroke-causing blood clots, restoring normal blood flow in seconds.

To earn re-certification as a Primary Stroke Center, Henry Ford Jackson Hospital demonstrated continuous compliance with stringent performance standards. Primary Stroke Center certification recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing clinical programs across the continuum of care for stroke. The certification evaluates how hospitals use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

“While stroke-related mortality has decreased significantly over the past several decades, stroke remains the fifth leading cause of death for all Americans and the leading cause of serious long-term disability,” said Alex Chebl, M.D., director of the Henry Ford Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Division of Vascular Neurology for Henry Ford Health. “This underscores the importance of receiving rapid, cutting-edge care by highly experienced physicians and nurses as quickly as possible when someone begins experiencing symptoms of stroke. These recertifications from The Joint Commission are a direct reflection of our commitment to treating our patients with the most advanced diagnostic tools and evidence-based therapies available today.”

The warning signs of stroke include sudden loss of balance or trouble walking, blurred vision, facial drooping, sudden weakness of the limbs, slurred speech and debilitating headache. If you or someone else suffers any of these symptoms, call 911 and get to the nearest stroke center immediately.
 
Also known as a “brain attack,” stroke can come in two forms, ischemic and hemorrhagic. The most common type of stroke is called an ischemic stroke, in which a blockage causes an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain. Every minute in which a large vessel ischemic stroke is untreated, the average person will lose approximately 1.7 million brain cells, according to the American Heart Association. If the blood supply is not restored immediately, this can cause severe brain damage or death. About 13 percent of strokes are caused by a weakened blood vessel that ruptures. These hemorrhagic strokes cause blood to pool and put pressure on the surrounding tissue. People suffering a hemorrhagic stroke can suffer severe brain damage if the bleeding is not controlled and the pressure relieved.

An independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in U.S., The Joint Commission conducted a rigorous review of more than 130 elements of performance, including quality measurements and guidelines, before awarding the re-certifications. The Joint Commission standards were developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

Certification reviews from The Joint Commission occur every two years. Henry Ford Health Center - Brownstown Emergency Department is certified as an Acute Stroke Ready Center, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital are certified as Primary Stroke Centers, and Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital is certified as a Thrombectomy-Capable stroke center. 

As pioneers in stroke research, Henry Ford experts were instrumental in the development of the “clot-buster” drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), serving as the national coordinating center and one of the primary sites for the national clinical trials. Henry Ford clinicians and researchers continue to participate in ground-breaking clinical trials with novel approaches and devices for the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

To learn more about Stroke care at Henry Ford, please visit henryford.com/stroke.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Adkins / jadkins6@hfhs.org / 586-307-2027

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About Henry Ford Health
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.

It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.

With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.

The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan, including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, three behavioral health facilities, primary care and urgent care centers.