What is SILC?

SILC (Stroke Interventional Laboratory Certification) is a program by the SVIN Mission Thrombectomy initiative designed to recognize healthcare facilities that demonstrate excellence and adhere to the highest clinical standards in providing mechanical thrombectomy (MT) services for stroke patients. It aims to support facilities in achieving measurable advancements in care, outcomes, and operational efficiency

Healthcare facilities and systems (e.g., hospitals, stroke centers) that perform mechanical thrombectomy procedures and are committed to providing high-quality, standardized stroke intervention care should consider applying. The certification is relevant for centers seeking to validate their quality, improve outcomes, and enhance their reputation.

Key benefits include:

• Enhanced reputation: Being recognized as a stroke center of excellence.
• Improved patient outcomes: Through standardized care protocols, plus potential economic advantages such as better reimbursement eligibility and funding opportunities.
• Expert support & resources: Access to expert consultation and demonstrating a strong commitment to health equity in stroke care.

The Self-Evaluation (using the provided checklist/form) is a preliminary step for centers to assess their own readiness against SILC criteria before formally applying. The Final Evaluation is the formal process initiated after application submission, involving documentation review and an on-site visit by SILC evaluators to determine if the center meets the standards for certification.

The process includes:

• Eligibility check (including mandatory self-assessment).
• Formal application submission via an online portal with required documentation and fees
• Initial review for completeness and eligibility.
• A scheduled on-site visit (typically 1-2 days) by an evaluation team, including document reviews, facility tours, and personnel interviews
• Evaluation team deliberation and report preparation
• Final decision notification (Certification, Provisional, or Denial) and a detailed feedback report.
• Potential corrective action plan and follow-up evaluation if needed.

Certified centers are typically required to undergo periodic re-evaluation, every 2 years to maintain their certification status. Annual reporting may also be required.

Yes, there is an application fee required upon submission to cover administrative costs. The application fees is $1000 per site

Where can I find the detailed SILC criteria/standards? The preliminary requirements can be assessed using the Self-Evaluation Checklist. For detailed criteria, centers should refer to the official SILC standards documentation. (Provide a link here).For more details, please refer to SVIN MT White Paper https://www.svin.org/files/Final_formatted_SVIN_White_paper_2020_updated_references(1).pdf

Evaluations are conducted by Members of the SILC Committee based on expertise, experience, availability, and lack of conflict of interest.

Once final submission is done, you can hear back from us within 3 months with the result. Team might reach out in between if there are follow-ups or some pending dependencies. We also publicly announced the accepted websites in one of our Bi-Annual in-person evcents as well as on our websites.