Valley West Medical Center issued the following announcement on Nov. 27.
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers*. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in October. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.
“The certification recognizes the exceptional stroke care we provide and our efforts to continually strive to advance our care even further,” said Minesh Morker, MD, neurologist at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital. “Patients can have confidence Kishwaukee Hospital is focused on delivering high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has been an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital since January 2015. The Advanced Primary Stroke designation was achieved following completion of more rigorous requirements including the addition of telemedicine in the Emergency Department and the development of a designated stroke unit where care is delivered by specially trained nurses and staff.
“Stroke patients who are admitted to Kishwaukee Hospital benefit from the structure and requirements of Primary Stroke certification,” said Caryn Josh, MSN, APN, stroke program coordinator, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital. “The care team’s focus is identification of the cause of stroke, prevention of complications and prevention of a recurrence. In addition, the stroke prevention education team reviews risk factors for stroke and ways to improve health.”
Care of a patient experiencing a stroke is expedited in the Emergency Department with streamlined processes. When a patient arrives, the stroke team is immediately notified and responds quickly. A CT scan and lab tests are quickly completed and resulted. The clot-busting medication (tPA) can be given, if deemed appropriate. Transfer to a higher level of care can be accomplished quickly if required.
“Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission*. “We commend Kishwaukee Hospital for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”
Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary 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 the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers*” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers*” (Stroke, 2011).
Stroke is the number four 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.
Original source can be found here.
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