SAINT THOMAS WEST HOSPITAL AWARDED ADVANCED CERTIFICATION FOR COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER
Saint Thomas West Hospital today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark forAdvanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.
With this certification, Saint Thomas West Hospital joins an elite group of health care organizations focused on highly-specialized stroke care. To be eligible, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards as a Primary Stroke Center and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and providing staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.
Saint Thomas West underwent a rigorous onsite review in March when Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.
“By achieving this advanced certification, Saint Thomas West has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of its patients with a complex stroke condition,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Saint Thomas West for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate the standard of its care for the community it serves.”
“The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association congratulates Saint Thomas West on achieving Comprehensive Stroke Center certification,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “Meeting the standards for Comprehensive Stroke Center certification represents a commitment to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”
“Saint Thomas West is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Dr. Frank Lafranchise, medical director of the neuroscience program at Saint Thomas Health. “The certification provides us with the framework to create a culture of excellence.”
Established in 2012, Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for Comprehensive Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2005), “Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011) andrecommendations from a multidisciplinary advisory panel of experts in complex stroke care.
Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
