About the Center
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center, directed by Dr. Victor Urrutia, is on a mission to improve the life of people who experienced stroke. We use multifaceted treatment strategies to help patients on all stages of stroke recovery. Our stroke center is certified by the Joint Commission and Maryland’s Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). These certifications recognize that we offer the critical elements for long-term success and improving outcomes.
BE FAST | Recognize the Signs of Stroke
About every 40 seconds in the United States, someone experiences a stroke. The most common type occurs from a blocked blood vessel in the brain. The most important thing you can do if you think you are having a stroke is BE FAST.
Patient Stories
Surviving Stroke at a Young Age | Sam’s Story
Stroke | Amy's Story
FAST Response to Stroke Symptoms and tPA Saves a Life | Althea’s Story
Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute
Created through a generous philanthropic gift from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute, with locations in Baltimore and Abu Dhabi, draws on Johns Hopkins’ vast leadership in stroke diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, with the focus on biomedical research, acute treatment, brain repair and neuroplasticity, behavioral recovery, stroke prevention and public health.
Learn more about SKSI
Certifications and Designations
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The Johns Hopkins Hospital achieved the 2025 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke® program. These distinctions recognize our center's commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely.
Earning the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award means meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.
Learn more about our Centers' performance and accountability.
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We are proud to report that our compliance rates are at or above the national safety standard and meet or exceed the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association's "Get with the Guidelines" performance targets. Our quality statistics:
- Compliant: Carotid endarterectomy data are tracked by the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) and meet the national benchmark.
- Compliant: Serious complication rates for diagnostic angiogram are less than 1 percent: better than the national benchmark.
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The Comprehensive Stroke Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital has earned the Joint Commission's and MIEMSS's stroke center certifications as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. This ensures specialized care for patients with even the most challenging strokes throughout the course of their diagnosis, treatment and recovery, at both the state-of-the-art inpatient hospital unit and the Stroke Prevention and Recovery Center (SPARC).