The Joint Commission has certified the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. The certification is The Joint Commission’s highest-level certification for stroke care, with only 67 centers across the US having receiving this designation, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center news release. The distinction recognizes the medical center’s high level capabilities in treating the most complex stroke cases on a round-the-clock basis.

The UT Southwestern news release notes that UT Southwestern’s highly trained stroke care teams include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroimaging specialists, stroke rehabilitation specialists, and emergency medicine physicians, along with others who have ready access to technology and medications that can limit damage during or after a stroke. Stroke prevention procedures involve the use of special lasers to connect arteries without stopping blood flow to the brain as well as a special stent designed specifically for blood vessels in the brain.

Specialized equipment at the Texas-based center includes a CT scanner that cerates 3-D images of an organ in real time. The UT Southwestern news release also indicates that the medical center is developing a telestroke program that uses communication technology to connect UT Southwestern medical professionals with those in outlying, rural areas.

Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, president of UT Southwester, says, “This certification assures the people of North Texas that stroke victims in this region have access to the most advanced technology, procedures, and best practices to serve stroke patients.”

John Warner, MD, CEO of UT Southwestern University Hospitals, states, “A top priority at UT Southwestern is ensuring that our programs and procedures deliver the best possible care to each patient on a consistent basis. Patients come to us because of our world-class expertise, not only in stroke care, but in every aspect of the care they receive at our hospitals.”

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center