Changing Lives with Stroke Care and Research

One night last year, Bree Johnson woke up to take care of her newborn son and was struck with a debilitating headache. She soon realized it wasn’t a migraine – she was having a stroke. EMS took her to UH Elyria Medical Center and then was transferred by helicopter to UH Cleveland Medical Center where she received lifesaving stroke care. Learn more about her incredible story in the video above.

A Commitment to Patient Care Exemplified

Bree’s care providers are part of a team led by Amrou Sarraj, MD, FAHA, Director of the Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke centers at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Director of Stroke Systems for UH Neurological Institute. He is also the George M. Humphrey II Chair in Neurology.

In addition to delivering clinical care to patients like Bree, Dr. Sarraj leads groundbreaking stroke research for the benefit of patients everywhere. He was global principal investigator for SELECT2, a major, international study for patients with large core strokes. SELECT2 proved that these patients have a dramatically better recovery after endovascular thrombectomy plus medical management, than patients who only received standard medical management. The findings represent a significant advancement in stroke therapy worldwide and give patients hope for a higher quality of life.

For this work, Dr. Sarraj received a 2024 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award earlier this month from the Clinical Research Forum, a national research consortium that annually recognizes the 10 most significant clinical advancements impacting the health and wellness of humanity.

“This achievement exemplifies our unwavering commitment to advancing patient care and improving outcomes,” said Dr. Sarraj. “This milestone underscores University Hospitals' dedication to transformative research and reaffirms our mission to drive innovation in healthcare.”

UH was the only hospital system to have two honorees acknowledged this year: Dr. Sarraj and Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation, for his efforts to prevent amputation.

“University Hospitals is committed to cutting-edge research,” said Daniel I. Simon, President, Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer; Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Health Care Leadership. “We are honored that two of our outstanding physician-scientists have been recognized for their impactful work. Drs. Sarraj and Shishehbor are perfect examples of our vision to advance the science of health and the art of compassion.”