Holy Cross Hospital Awarded Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center Accreditation

HOLY CROSS IS AN ACCREDITED THROMBECTOMY-CAPABLE STROKE CENTER 

 

Holy Cross Hospital is proud to announce it is one of the first hospitals in South Florida to receive distinction as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC), a new certification program from The Joint Commission. This certification program was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) in response to the need to identify hospitals throughout the country that meet rigorous standards for performing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a specialized surgical procedure used to remove a blood clot from the brain of an ischemic stroke patient.

"This certification is recognition that Holy Cross is a regional and national leader when it comes to the early detection and treatment of large ischemic strokes," said Sheryl Strasser, MD, Medical Director of Holy Cross Stroke Service. "More and more, we are sending patients home with a good prognosis following a life-threatening stroke. The advancements we've made inside our stroke center are truly remarkable."

Holy Cross Hospital first received accreditation in 2003 as a Primary Stroke Center and has been accredited every two years since. To achieve its newest designation, Holy Cross Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite survey during which a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. 

In order to be eligible for certification, the hospital was required to meet strict guidelines that include performing endovascular thrombectomy on a minimum of 15 patients in the past year, or 30 patients in the past two years, and the capability to perform endovascular thrombectomy around the clock, seven days a week, along with monitoring and reporting quality, safety and outcome measures to the AHA/ASA. 

The hospital’s primary neurointerventionists, the physicians who routinely perform emergency mechanical thrombectomy, are also required to meet the highest standards of subspecialty training. Other Holy Cross physicians treating these patients may include, specialty trained neurologists, neuro-intensive care specialists, neurosurgeons, emergency physicians, physical medicine and rehab as well as various specialty trained therapists.

According to the American Stroke Association, 795,000 Americans suffered a stroke last year across the country and more than 140,000 died as a result. Of those patients, roughly 87% percent suffered an ischemic stroke caused by a clot that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain. These types of strokes are largely treatable if a patient gets to a hospital that can provide the right treatment in time.

The Joint Commission launched the TSC program in January 2018. For more information on the TSC certification program, please visit www.jointcommission.org.