FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth has been recognized with one of the country’s most prestigious certifications for the treatment of stroke, a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition that takes a person’s life every four minutes in the U.S.

Texas Health Fort Worth is the first hospital in Fort Worth to achieve The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. It is one of the highest certifications that U.S. hospitals can achieve, and for the entire North Texas region, Texas Health Forth Worth is just the third hospital to do so.

“We’re exceedingly humbled to care for the highest number of stroke patients in North Texas, because it demonstrates how much the community values and respects the care we provide to patients and their family members,” said Joseph DeLeon, president of Texas Health Fort Worth. “And the trust they’ve put in us is what drives us every day to get better and better.”

The stroke program at Texas Health Fort Worth offers various programs, technologies and specialists aimed at better diagnosis and treatment of stroke:  a dedicated neurosurgical intensive care unit, educational and support programs, a Brain Injury Transitional Services program, advanced imaging systems to identify clots deep in the brain, virtual stroke care capabilities, along with educational and support programs.

To be eligible for certification, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards as a Primary Stroke Center and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and providing staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.

Texas Health Fort Worth underwent a rigorous on-site review in Feb. 2019, when Joint Commission representatives evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.

This additional certification demonstrates Texas Health Fort Worth’s continued commitment to excellence, said Dr. Vinit Mehrotra, neurologist on the medical staff and medical director of Texas Health Fort Worth’s stroke program. “It represents yet another way we pledge to the community that quality treatment, education and rehab will be provided to every stroke patient — from those with minor symptoms to those most critically ill,” he said.

Stroke happens to be the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S., according to the American Stroke Association. For patients that do survive a stroke, that sometimes translates into extensive rehabilitation.

“Immediate and appropriate medical attention is critical to a patient’s survival and also helps reduce the amount of disability,” said James Ryan, Texas Health Fort Worth’s stroke program coordinator. “That’s why people should call 911 if they’re experiencing symptoms or if they think someone else might be having a stroke. We want people to know that they first should call 911, and when they come to Texas Health Fort Worth, we’re committed to providing quality stroke care, from beginning to end,” Ryan said.

For Tarrant County and the entire North Texas region, we are that extended support system for stroke patients and their loved ones, before and after surgery,” DeLeon said. “This prestigious certification serves as a constant reminder that we have all the necessary resources to make it happen.”

Established in 2012, Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. To learn more about services offered at Texas Health Fort Worth, click on comprehensive cardiovascular care.