University Health Shreveport, with support from LSU Health Shreveport doctors, has become the first hospital in Louisiana, and only the tenth hospital in the country to earn Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) certification from The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA).
This certification signifies the 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. Ischemic strokes happen when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, severely-reducing blood flow.
To be eligible for certification, 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 LSU Health Shreveport physicians, who routinely perform emergency mechanical thrombectomy, also must meet the highest standards of subspecialty training.
“This certification shows the excellent work the hospital’s Stroke Team 1 performs every day,” said University Health Shreveport President Mark Randolph. “Our team, made up of LSU doctors and University Health staff, is able to give stroke patients a better outcome because we have the capabilities that other hospitals don’t offer.”
University Health Shreveport was evaluated during an onsite review for compliance with the TSC requirements that were developed with input from experts on comprehensive stroke treatment and stroke program management.
“The Joint Commission congratulates University Health Shreveport on this significant achievement which makes it a preferred location for transporting patients with suspected ischemic stroke,” said David Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, executive vice president, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission. “Multiple studies have proven EVT treatment to be effective in saving lives and lowering disability from stroke.”
“With the recent advances in endovascular therapies for acute ischemic stroke, it’s important to recognize hospitals which can perform this critical intervention safely and effectively and we commend University Health Shreveport on this designation,” said Edward C. Jauch, MD, chair of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Hospital Accreditation Stroke Subcommittee. “The TSC certification helps prehospital providers better understand hospital stroke capabilities and assist in regional EMS triage of stroke patients so that the patient gets to the right hospital for the right treatment.”