McLaren Macomb earns Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation, additional honors

McLaren Macomb, already with the most technologically advanced and clinically experienced stroke program in Macomb County, has earned Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation from The Joint Commission. A leading independent, not-for-profit accrediting body certifying health care organizations and programs in the United States, The Joint Commission, TJC, symbolizes a health care organization’s quality and commitment performance standards.

McLaren Macomb is the first and only hospital in Macomb County to earn Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation, the highest achievable designation for a stroke program. The hospital had previously been designated as a Primary Stroke Center by TJC.

“Since the beginning the accreditation process, the goal for this program has always been to ultimately earn this Comprehensive Stroke Center status,” said Dr. Aniel Majjhoo, McLaren Macomb interventional neurologist and medical director of the McLaren Stroke Network. “Now that we’ve achieved this highest accreditation, we look forward to continuing to provide the latest in stroke care, access to stroke research trials and being an exceptional resource to our community.”

Advanced designations are earned only after passing a rigorous and thorough onsite survey by stroke-experienced healthcare professionals, and they are available only to acute care hospitals already accredited by The Joint Commission. McLaren Macomb originally earned its TJC accreditation in the spring of 2016, with its re-accreditation obtained in the winter of 2022.

Several aspects of the hospital’s program are evaluated, ranging from staffing, on-site technology for stroke-specific diagnostic imaging and procedures, to demonstrating that certain neurological and interventional stroke procedures have been consistently performed, among other clinical care, performance and quality metrics.

In addition to its Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation, the McLaren Macomb stroke program continued its streak of earning recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association by earning its Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke GOLD PLUS for the fourth consecutive year.

The AHA/ASA also recognized the program with its Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite distinction for its prompt use of IV tPA, a medication to dissolve stroke-causing blood clots.

Distinction levels are determined based on programs’ compliance with the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment guidelines set by the AHA/ASA to improve the care and clinical outcomes of stroke patients. The GOLD PLUS level — the highest achievable level — is earned by complying with these guidelines for 24 or more consecutive months.

Part of the McLaren Stroke Network, McLaren Macomb has routinely earned national recognition for its care, treatment, quality and outcomes, and was the first program in Macomb County capable of performing interventional thrombectomy procedures.

McLaren Macomb also recently expanded its stroke program with the addition of leading-edge, AI-powered technology that results in quicker, time-critical treatment decisions for stroke care.

The fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States, 795,000 people suffer a stroke every year — averaging one stroke every 40 seconds. McLaren Macomb, part of the McLaren Stroke Network, provides 24/7 initial evaluations by the interventional neurologists for all suspected-stroke patients, the only program of its kind in the state.

To learn more about the stroke program at McLaren Macomb, visit mclaren.org/macombstroke.

About McLaren Macomb

McLaren Macomb is a 288-bed acute care hospital located in Mount Clemens, Mich. More than 400 physicians and nearly 2,000 employees work at McLaren Macomb, making it one of Macomb County’s top employers. With a network of offsite facilities and outpatient clinics, McLaren Macomb provides a full range of services, including trauma, orthopedics, surgical, cancer, imaging and cardiovascular care among others. As Macomb County’s first verified trauma center, the hospital operates the largest and busiest emergency department in Macomb County. Continuing to expand its services, McLaren Macomb has a rich history of providing high quality, compassionate health care and holds a strong position in the community it serves. To learn more, visit mclaren.org/macomb.

About McLaren Health Care

McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 15 hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 588,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 90,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.