St. Alexius Earns Certification for Stroke Care Program
Posted on 4/29/2009
St. Alexius Medical Center has become the first medical center in North Dakota to earn the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. |
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St. Alexius Medical Center has become the first medical center in North Dakota to earn the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. St. Alexius earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an unannounced on-site review in March.
“St. Alexius Medical Center demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” says Jean E. Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.
“We’re proud to achieve the distinction,” says Andrew L. Wilson, President and CEO of St. Alexius Medical Center. “Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes St. Alexius’ commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community.”
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program- the nation’s first- in 2003.
During this year’s Legislative Session, at the request of the ND Chapter of the American Stroke Association, legislators approved a law that becomes effective January 1, 2010, which requires the North Dakota Department of Health to designate qualified hospitals as primary stroke centers. The criteria must include a requirement that the hospital be certified as a primary stroke center by JCAHO or a similar accrediting or certifying nationally recognized healthcare industry organization. With our newly awarded Primary Stroke Center Certification we become the first hospital in the state to meet this criteria.
About St. Alexius Medical Center
St. Alexius Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in the region to establish a primary stroke center staffed with a multidisciplinary team of stroke experts who provide 24-hour rapid response. The skilled and experienced medical team at St. Alexius includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, emergency physicians and specially trained nurses.
Emergency and Trauma staff in the Level II Trauma Center are attuned to the needs of stroke patients and follow rapid response protocols. The Stroke Center’s comprehensive level of care extends beyond hospitalization as specialists provide stroke prevention education, extended rehabilitation care, support groups and follow-up care.
Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.
View a list of programs certified by the Joint Commission.