Committed to Exceptional Stroke Care in Northern Michigan
Stroke is a medical emergency and is the leading cause of preventable disability in the United States. During a stroke, the brain is lacking oxygen. Oxygen is required for brain cells (neurons) to survive. The brain permanently loses 1.9 million neurons for every one minute without oxygen.
When you or a loved one experience stroke symptoms, only one thing matters: getting help fast. The acronym BE FAST will help you recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke and helps save lives:
- B – Balance problem
- E – Eyes/vision problem
- F – Face drooping
- A – Arm weakness
- S – Speech difficulty
- T – Time to call 9-1-1
If you or someone you love shows signs of stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Local Interventional Stroke Care
The standard of stroke care treatment for over a quarter-century has been a medication called TPA (also known as Alteplase) given to patients via IV to reduce the size of the stroke. This can only be used within a very short timeframe and cannot be used beyond 4.5 hours from stroke onset.
Experts at the Witham Family Comprehensive Stroke Center are now providing interventional care to stroke patients across northern Michigan. Interventional care gives our community on-demand access to advanced surgical procedures meant to remove the blockage causing a stroke. These are typically minimally-invasive endovascular procedures that involve a trained surgeon inserting a catheter through a patient’s artery and then using a small retriever tool to find and remove the blockage.
Munson Healthcare physicians at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City are performing these endovascular techniques 24/7 with assistance from the nation’s most advanced brain imaging technology. For acute stroke patients, that means:
- A regional stroke network delivering faster stroke intervention
- A larger possible scope of care
- A much stronger chance of positive outcomes
Successful interventional stroke care is life-changing.
Munson Healthcare’s goal is to create a self-sustaining world-class comprehensive stroke program right here in northern Michigan.
2023 Stroke Education Presentation
Award-winning Stroke Care
Munson Medical Center's Witham Family Comprehensive Stroke Center is certified by the Joint Commission and is recognized as a regional stroke center for northern Michigan.
Your multidisciplinary stroke team was honored with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Award and the Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Advanced Therapy Awards in 2024.
Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification recognizes hospitals that meet specific eligibility standards to support better outcomes for stroke care, including:
- A dedicated stroke-focused program
- 24/7 availability of neurointerventionist, neuroradiologist, neurologist, neurosurgeon
- Staffing by qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care
- Individualized care to meet stroke patients’ needs
- Patient involvement in their hospital care
- Coordination of post-discharge patient self-care based on recommendations of the Brain Attack Coalition and guidelines published by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association or equivalent guidelines
- Streamlined flow of patient information while protecting patient rights, security, and privacy
- Collection of the hospital’s stroke-treatment performance data
- Hospital team performance data
- Use of data to assess and continually improve quality of care for stroke patients
- Participation in patient-centered research
- Educational opportunities for the public
Watch the Announcement of Our Comprehensive Stroke Program Certification
Partnership with Michigan Medicine
Munson Healthcare is proudly partnered with Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Mich. for affiliate research, outreach, and telehealth.
Stroke Outcomes
Munson Healthcare's performance measures were developed by the Joint Commission in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and show how Munson Healthcare compares against state and national benchmarks as well as American Heart Association recommendations.
Online Stroke Resources
To learn more, visit the American Stroke Association.
