Health & Fitness

WELLNESS

Combating Strokes

New Henry Ford West Bloomfield stroke facility dedicated.

Drs. Stan Elias of Ann Arbor, Mark Rosenblum of West Bloomfield, Brigitte and Mort Harris of Bloomfield Hills and Dr. Michael Chopp of Southfield

C

ommunity leaders gathered recently at Henry
Ford West Bloomfield Hospital to dedicate the
Harris Stroke Center. Philanthropist and civic
leader Mort Harris was honored for his longtime support
of patients, physicians and researchers.
The Harris Stroke Center includes:
• A six-bed acute stroke intensive care unit, managed
by stroke neurologists.
• A stroke rehabilitation and clinical trials unit, provid-
ing state-of-the-art rehabilitation for stroke patients.
• An emergency stroke telemedicine network, which
allows a stroke specialist at one Henry Ford location to
see and talk with a stroke patient and health care team
at another location. This ensures that the patient receives
appropriate diagnostic tests, therapy and prompt trans-
fer, if necessary, to hospitals with advanced therapies
and stroke ICU care.
For several years, Henry Ford Hospital has been
researching stroke recovery using Viagra in laboratory ani-
mals. The outcomes have been favorable so far. When ani-
mals with stroke are treated with Viagra, the drug provides
significant neurological function benefit. The animals with
Viagra do much better than those without, in motor func-
tion, neurological outcome and weight gain.
Now the hospital is performing a patient safety study
using Viagra. The study, approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, aims to determine whether Viagra
can be safely given after a stroke. Future studies will
determine whether patients regain some or all motor,
speech and cognitive skills that may have been lost dur-
ing a stroke.

Sidney Forbes of Bloomfield Hills and Eugene Driker

Dr. Mark Rosenblum of West Bloomfield and Karen

of Detroit

Davidson of Bloomfield Hills

With such breakthrough discoveries and new offer-
ings, the Harris Stroke Center network ensures rapid
diagnosis and early treatment of stroke through access
to the most advanced therapies available. Its services are
designed to offer the best chance for recovery and resto-
ration of neurological function.
The center also includes a comprehensive research
program to study preclinical and clinical outcomes fol-
lowing stroke.
The lives of innumerable patients may be impacted by
the center, which serves as a life-saving resource for the
community.
Harris is a longtime Henry Ford trustee and both he
and his wife, Brigitte, are strong advocates for the health
system. fl

Harris Simi& Center

A PROGRAM OF Tilt UROSCIENCE INSTITUTE

Brigitte and Mort Harris of Bloomfield Hills

December 17 • 2009

41