Christiana Care’s stroke program awarded certification from the Joint Commission

Christiana Care Health System has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. Christiana Care earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review in November 2009.

“Christiana Care 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.

Christiana Care is a regional leader in the number of stroke patients cared for, treating more than 1,200 stroke cases in 2009.

“We’re proud to achieve this distinction,” says Anthony Munson, M.D., medical director of Christiana Care’s Stroke program. “Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes the hard work and dedication of our colleagues at Christiana Care to provide the best possible care to our patients.”

Each year about 700,000 people nationwide 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 U.S, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

The Joint Commission bases Primary Stroke Center Certification on 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 in 2003.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to improve continuously the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations.

For more information about Christiana Care’s stroke program, visit www.christianacare.org/stroke.