Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Receives Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center Certification
Baltimore, MD - LifeBridge Health's Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has earned Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) certification from The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits health care organizations in the United States. 
The Joint Commission created the certification in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. This certification signifies that Sinai Hospital meets rigorous standards for performing mechanical endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a specialized surgical procedure used to remove a blood clot from the brain during an ischemic stroke.
"Sinai Hospital was the first hospital in Maryland and just the 16th in the entire country to receive this prestigious TSC certification. We are so proud of our entire stroke team at The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute, as this achievement reflects our team's hard work and commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality care for our patients," says Jonathan Ringo, M.D., president and chief operating officer of Sinai Hospital, and senior vice president at LifeBridge Health, Sinai Hospital's parent organization.
"The Joint Commission congratulates Sinai Hospital on this significant achievement, which makes it a preferred location for transporting patients with suspected ischemic stroke," says David Baker, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., executive vice president, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission.
Sinai Hospital was evaluated during an onsite review for compliance with the TSC standards developed with input from experts on comprehensive stroke treatment and stroke program management. The hospital was required to meet strict guidelines that include performing EVT on a minimum of 15 patients in the past year or 30 patients in the past two years, and the capability to perform EVT around the clock, seven days a week. The hospital's primary neurointerventionalists"”the physicians who routinely perform emergency mechanical thrombectomy"”also must meet the highest standards of subspecialty training.
"As we see with our own patients, EVT is effective at saving lives and minimizing risk of disability from ischemic stroke. The ability to preserve function"”from speech and sight to motion and mobility"”can make a dramatic difference for our patients with stroke, in their recoveries and their lives," says William Ashley, M.D., Ph.D, M.B.A., F.A.A.N.S., director of cerebrovascular, endovascular & skull base neurosurgery at LifeBridge Health.
Dr. Adrian Goldszmidt, chief of neurology at Sinai Hospital adds, "The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association set the standards for quality and stroke care. We are honored to be recognized by these respected organizations for the high level of care that we can offer our patients with stroke."
According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and more than 87 percent of cases are ischemic stroke caused by a clot that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain.
"With recent advances in endovascular therapies for acute ischemic stroke, it's important to recognize hospitals that can perform t