Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital Earns Re-Certification as Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

DETROIT (Dec. 7, 2021) – Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital has earned re-certification as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center from The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. 

To earn this re-certification, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital met all requirements for the Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center certification, plus these additional requirements:

• Minimum mechanical thrombectomy volume requirement of 15 or more per year.
• Ability to perform mechanical thrombectomy 24/7.
• Dedicated intensive care unit beds to care for acute ischemic stroke patients.
• Availability of staff and practitioners closely aligned with Comprehensive Stroke Center expectations.
• A process to collect and review data regarding adverse patient outcomes following mechanical thrombectomy.

“We are pleased to earn this re-certification from The Joint Commission as a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, which is a direct reflection of the dedicated and expert care our clinicians and support staff provide each of our patients every day,” said Hebah Hefzy, M.D., medical director of the Stroke Program at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. 

According to the CDC, more than 795,000 people each year in the U.S. suffer a stroke, and approximately 87% of those are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked.

“Up to a quarter of all ischemic strokes are caused by a large vessel occlusion, which can be treated using mechanical thrombectomy. We urge anyone experiencing stroke symptoms, such as facial droop, arm or leg weakness, speech difficulty, or sudden visual loss to call 911 and seek emergency medical care immediately,” Dr. Hefzy said. 

Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally-invasive procedure in which a neuro-interventional physician uses continuous X-ray imaging to guide specialized instruments through a patient’s arteries to reach and extract a clot. Currently, only one-third of Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Centers perform mechanical thrombectomy. 

“The Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, R.N., chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for Stroke patients.”

The Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center certification was developed as part of a collaboration between The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Certification reviews from The Joint Commission occur every two years.

While advancements in stroke care, like mechanical thrombectomy, have led to better outcomes for patients in recent years, stroke remains the leading cause of disability among U.S. citizens, and the fifth leading cause of death in the country. Every 40 seconds on average, a person will have a stroke, and someone in the country dies from stroke on average every four minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

To learn more or request an appointment with a Henry Ford stroke specialist, please visit henryford.com/stroke.

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